A section of Nyamira County Assembly members now say they feel betrayed and silenced after the Senate overturned the impeachment of Governor Amos Nyaribo an outcome they insist was reached without giving their case a fair hearing.
Speaking to the press on December 4, 2025, the visibly frustrated MCAs accused Senators of dismissing the impeachment motion on technicalities, without even reviewing the evidence files detailing what they describe as a deep crisis in Nyamira’s governance.
Kemera Ward MCA James Mating’a led the charge, announcing that the Assembly members will be heading to court to challenge the Senate’s ruling that the impeachment failed to meet the mandatory two-thirds support required.
“We have many ways of dealing with this impeachment,” Mating’a said, his voice firm. “We shall go to court for the court to decide this issue on the number of MCAs that make up the two-thirds.”
Their anger comes just a day after the Senate voted overwhelmingly 38 Senators in favour and only 4 opposed to uphold a preliminary objection by Governor Nyaribo’s legal team, effectively ending the impeachment bid before it began. It was the Governor’s third narrow escape from impeachment.
Nyamira County Assembly Majority Leader George Mora Abuga questioned how quickly the Senate’s mood shifted during the December 3 hearing.
According to Abuga, several Senators who had earlier shown support for the Assembly’s case suddenly crossed the floor after a one-hour adjournment called by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot.
“What happened in that one-hour break… that the Senate decided to vote on the preliminary objection, and three-quarters of them who were supporting us crossed over?” Abuga asked, suggesting possible lobbying or behind-the-scenes persuasion.
The MCAs insist the Senate’s decision denied Nyamira residents justice by avoiding substantive debate on the allegations they had tabled.
A long list of accusations
- Governor Nyaribo, who had appeared before Senate committees earlier in the year, was facing multiple charges in this impeachment attempt. Among them were:
- Engaging in and supporting the unconstitutional Bunge Mashinani initiative
- Illegally assenting to the Nyamira County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024
- Failure to present the State of the County Address and Annual Reports
- Ignoring court orders on the appointment of Clive Ogwora as a CEC member
- Irregular staff recruitment without budgetary provisions
- Influencing questionable appointments of senior HR officials
- Self-enrichment through irregular salary arrears
- Payroll fraud, loss of public funds, dual appointments, and usurpation of the powers of both the Auditor-General and the County Public Service Board
The Assembly members argue that these accusations paint a troubling picture of mismanagement that demanded a full Senate hearing not a dismissal on procedural grounds.
A Governor who keeps surviving
For Governor Nyaribo, the Senate decision marks yet another survival in a long political storm. After the ruling, he continues in office, shielded once more from removal despite escalating tension with the County Assembly.
They now hope the courts will offer what they believe the Senate denied them: clarity on the numbers required for impeachment and a chance to revive their case against a Governor they say has repeatedly violated public trust.
As the standoff deepens, Nyamira residents remain caught in the crossfire of a political battle that shows no signs of ending soon.
