Embattled Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo is once again facing the threat of removal from office after a second impeachment motion was filed by a Member of the County Assembly (MCA), accusing him of abuse of office.
Last year, Nyaribo narrowly survived impeachment when the majority of MCAs voted against his removal. However, his troubles appear far from over as MCA Evans Juma Matunda has today filed a fresh motion seeking his ouster.
In the motion, Matunda accuses the county governor of grossly violating several laws, including the illegal recruitment of county staff. It is alleged that Nyaribo openly breached the law by personally selecting Mr. Godfrey Kiriago and Ms. Elmelda Nyaberi for appointment to the positions of Director of Human Resource Management and Human Resource Officer, respectively. According to the motion, these appointments were made through “cherry-picking,” a process lacking the required competitiveness.
Nyaribo is further accused of violating the law by denying students their right to education. Article 27(4) of the Constitution of Kenya stipulates that the state shall not discriminate against any person based on race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, health status, ethnic or social origin, color, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, dress, language, or birth. However, the motion alleges that, in January 2024 at Uhuru Gardens in Nyamira town, Governor Nyaribo made discriminatory remarks. He reportedly stated, “Those who don’t vote in Nyamira, if your father or your mother does not vote in Nyamira, you belong to where your parents are voters, hence you should apply there and get a bursary there,” which was interpreted as a form of discrimination.
Matunda also claims that the governor violated the Nyamira County Persons with Disabilities Act, 2023, by failing to establish the Nyamira County Persons with Disability Board as required by law.
Furthermore, Nyaribo is accused of failing to keep the county wage bill within the legal threshold, further exacerbating the county’s financial woes.
On the charge of abuse of office, the governor is alleged to have caused a loss of public funds amounting to Sh 33,564,221. This financial mismanagement, the motion argues, has deprived the people of Nyamira of essential services and infrastructure developments.
As the motion moves forward, Governor Nyaribo’s political future hangs in the balance, with MCAs set to deliberate on whether to proceed with his impeachment for the alleged misconduct and governance failures.
