Nyamira County Assembly Members (MCAs) are preparing to challenge in court the Senate’s decision to overturn Governor Amos Nyaribo’s impeachment, arguing that the Senate prioritized procedural technicalities over substantive allegations of misconduct.
Governor Amos Nyaribo once again survived, his third impeachment attempt, after the Senate dismissed the motion on a technicality related to the two-thirds voting threshold. The decision, made on December 3, 2025, saw 38 senators vote to uphold a preliminary objection raised by Nyaribo’s legal team, with only four opposing it. This effectively terminated the impeachment proceedings without a full hearing of the substantive charges against the Governor.
The core of the Senate’s decision revolved around the Nyamira County Assembly’s failure to meet the constitutional two-thirds majority required to impeach a governor. The Nyamira Assembly has 35 members, meaning 24 votes were needed to pass the motion, but only 23 were recorded in favor.
Governor Nyaribo’s legal team, led by Elias Mutuma, successfully argued that the vote was invalid, further complicated by claims of fraudulent proxy voting where only 19 MCAs were physically present despite 23 votes being tallied. Three MCAs have since filed a police complaint, alleging their signatures were forged to inflate the vote count.
However, a section of Nyamira MCAs, including Kemera Ward’s James Mating’a, have vowed to challenge the Senate’s ruling in court. They criticize the Senate for overturning the motion without opening the impeachment case files and for not discussing important issues affecting Nyamira residents. Majority Leader George Mora Abuga also raised concerns about a one-hour break during the Senate hearing, after which senators who were initially supportive of the impeachment allegedly changed their stance.
The impeachment motion accused Governor Nyaribo of serious offenses, including gross violation of the Constitution by supporting the “Bunge Mashinani” initiative and illegally assenting to the Nyamira County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024. Other charges included abuse of office through payroll fraud, irregular staff recruitment, unlawful appointments, and enriching himself through irregular salary arrears.
Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni expressed dissatisfaction with the Senate’s approach, arguing that it prioritized legal technicalities over substantive justice and denied MCAs a fair chance to be heard. He stated, “We are prioritising legal technicalities over substantive justice, reducing it to lobbying rather than oversight.”
This ongoing political infighting raises concerns about its impact on service delivery and governance in Nyamira County.
