Nyamira County Governor Amos Nyaribo when he appeared before the Senate County Public Investment Committee at Bunge Towers, Nairobi on September 5, 2024.
An ominous cloud has continued to hang on the skies of Nyamira County government, leaving many citizens of the rich agricultural community wondering what befell the leadership of the devolved unit.
The county has in the last two years been on the national news headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
Endless infightings, two failed impeachment attempts on governor Amos Nyaribo and now two warring groups that have allegedly resorted to square out their differences by using hired goons.
Governor Nyaribo, who took power after the demise of the late John Nyagarama, has had his high and low moments while trying to put the county in order.
Political observers however say that the county Executive wing is either self-sabotaging or besieged.
But the Executive led by Mr Nyaribo has a different view. They argue that what is ailing Nyamira is the mushrooming of political leaders with selfish interests.
“Those fighting me are my political nemesis who have never accepted that I defeated them in the August 2022 General election,” Mr Nyaribo said recently during a security meeting.
Local political analyst Andrew Mokaya observed that the chaos in both the executive and the Assembly is hurting service delivery to the people.
“Some of the fights are so personal that you fail to understand where they are emanating from. These fights ensure that money on the budget is not spent and it goes back to the exchequer; undermining the very reason why we have devolution,” said Mr Mokaya.
Some politicians are also positioning themselves for the gubernatorial seat in 2027 and want to sabotage the current governor, he noted.
Even so, he urged the electorate to consider voting out the current crop of leaders in Nyamira come 2027 for their alleged lack of clue on what their mandate entails.
If the failed impeachment motions against the county boss are anything to go by, then there could be genuine reasons for the commotion in Nyamira.
However, the issues raised in the motion have never gone to full trial as the initiative often aborts at the County Assembly level.
The first motion had accused Mr Nyaribo of 12 issues, among them, corruption, and nepotism, illegal recruitment of staff, failure to remit statutory dues and failure to complete stalled projects.
Backers of the motion said that the issues raised were not only violating the Constitution and other statutes but also hindering development and welfare of the people of Nyamira.
An example of the stalled projects is the Manga Stadium, which the backers of the motion said had stalled since 2018 over alleged corruption.
As a result, some Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), Senator, Woman Rep and a section of Members of the National Assembly have publicly accused Mr Nyaribo of having failed the test of leadership, terming him incompetent.
The MCAs are also on the spot over claims that they have apparently abandoned their constitutional duties as legislators to become combatants inside the chambers.
The ward representatives have been criticized for turning the county legislative chamber into an arena of shame where physical confrontations are the order of the day.
The precincts of the County Assembly have become a battlefield of some sorts with marauding goons lurking around just waiting for a signal from their bosses to pounce on an offender.
Other elected members from the county, namely; the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Senator, are equally alleged to have no high regard for the county governor over his incompetence and failure to respect the law.
Senator Okong’o O’mogeni is one of the governor’s chief critics, often accusing him of incompetence.
For example, Mr Nyaribo appeared before the Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds in September this year where the Senator was among his colleagues who lambasted him over alleged lack of understanding on the Nyamira Municipality expenditures.
Mr Amos Nyaribo, the Governor of Nyamira County.
He was at pains to explain a 16-day-long conference that people in his administration allegedly attended in Kisumu in December 2020.
Mr Nyaribo cut the image of a man who had no idea of what the conference was all about despite it lasting for more than two weeks and finances being incurred.
“There must be an error somewhere. We need to check from the office because I was not in attendance,” Mr Nyaribo told the committee regarding the said conference.
The evidently shaken Nyamira Municipality Manager Ernest Morara, could not give him a hint either; he kept on perusing the files, only remarking that “I need to look at the documents again”.
This was not the first time the governor was made to ‘sweat’ before the senators, all instances portraying him as incompetent.
Just like the senator, Nyamira County has four constituencies but none of the elected MNAs is supporting the governor even as his woes compound.
West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka has challenged him to resign for allegedly having nothing to show for his two years at the helm.
"I ask him to resign before the end of this month. Let him resign, in fact, I can draft the resignation letter and give him to append his signature," Mr Mogaka recently said at a funeral at Bondeni in his constituency.
The outspoken MP has also linked Mr Nyaribo to the chaos in the County Assembly, citing failure to observe the separation of powers between the county executive and legislature.
“I am urging you, governor, to begin accepting that the County Assembly of Nyamira is an independent institution. Let MCAs do their job and if they do shoddy work they will be disciplined by the others,” MP Mogaka said during a leaders meeting attended by the governor last week.
The other MPs who have openly expressed their discontent with governor Nyaribo are Patrick Osero (Borabu), Joash Nyamoko (North Mugirango) and Jerusha Momanyi (Women Rep). Mr Clive Gisairo of Kitutu Masaba has not pronounced himself publicly on the matter.
"There can ensure fierce debates at the County Assembly but it should not lead to intolerance. I am urging the politicians to embrace peace," said Senator O'mogeni.
The electorate is equally not only frustrated but they are bamboozled by the madness that has taken control of their leaders.
Mr Amos Nyaribo issued a press statement saying his salary was adjusted upward following the outcome of a case between the Kakamega County government and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Security agencies have been accused of taking sides in the protracted wars and by failing to bring to book law breakers.
For instance, in one of the latest violent incidents, a security guard at the County Assembly was burnt by unknown people and the home of Bomwagamo Ward MCA Julius Nyangana was torched.
The guard is fighting for his life at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital even as other leaders including Nyamira senator Okong’o O’mogeni, Women Rep Jerusha Momanyi and three MPs commenced fundraising efforts to help Mr Nyangana rebuild his home.
Both Governor Nyaribo and the impeached Assembly Speaker Enock Okero, have condemned and distanced themselves from the incidents.
Those saying that I was involved have ill political intentions. No human being has a chance in the constitution to destroy property, injure others or kill. What happened is wrong,” said Mr Okero.
Mr Nyaribo said: “This is a big shame to our county. We have witnessed this level of shame because people do not want to agree."
Nyamira County Commissioner Erastus Mbui confirmed the arrest of some of the trouble makers.
"Several people are already being processed for court following the lawlessness witnessed at the Assembly on Tuesday. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is burning the midnight oil to arrest the arsonists and their sponsors,” he said
About County number 046,
Nyamira County, one of the only two counties in the Gusii Nation, is currently headed by Governor Amos Nyaribo.
Governor Nyaribo survived a second impeachment motion in September this year. The first attempt to impeach the governor failed in October 2023.
Just like last year when tensions escalated shortly after the first failed impeachment motion, this time, the situation has degenerated into bloody and life-threatening violence.
The reasons that propelled the first attempt to impeach the governor have refused to go away.
Vicious wars have erupted again, with the MCAs now baying for each other’s blood and goons hired to destroy property and maim anyone who dares stand in their way.
Gen Z rage against the governor
Mr Nyaribo’s executive wing of the county also had to contend with the rage of Generation Z in July this year following protests and tabling of 21 grievances on his table.
The Gen Zs accused him of nepotism, failure to incorporate young people in his administration and failure to complete hospital and sports facilities in the county.
He defended himself, saying that the claims were untrue and that his administration was actually developing a Youth Policy to incorporate the interests of the Gen Zs.
“It is not true that money has been lost. For instance, the County Government received a total of Sh5.4 billion from the equitable share and one would ask how would the entire amount be embezzled yet the county is still able to pay salaries and service providers,” he defended himself against corruption claims.
Contrary to the common belief that his administration is doing nothing to develop the county, the governor, for instance, said that he has constructed a Doctor’s Plaza at Nyamira County Hospital, in-patients ward at Nyamusi, Gesima, Magwagwa and Keroka, and a Mother and Child Unit at Ekerenyo.
Sh150 million in the 2024/2025 Financial Year budget would be used to stock pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals in various hospitals, he said.
An annual Governor’s’ Cup, marathon and beauty contests would also be initiated to help the youth, he told the Gen Zs.
