Nyamira leadership stand-off angers professionals

Nyamira County professionals have waded into the stand-off pitting Governor Amos Nyaribo and MCAs over the appointment of a deputy governor, warning that it is undermining smooth transition and affecting service delivery.

While the professionals declared their total support for Mr Nyaribo, they challenged the youth and residents who support the new administration to prepare to participate in all legal means, including demonstrations, to protect the county from what they described as cartels that do not want meaningful change in the county.

“We were present at the funeral (of former Governor Nyagarama) when elected leaders present welcomed and pledged unwavering support for Mr Nyaribo’s leadership. We are now shocked at the turn of events in which some of the most vocal leaders at the funeral have now turned to back-stabbing the governor,” Mr Bob Bosire, one of the professionals, said when he visited Nation Centre on Tuesday evening.

Nominee rejected

Mr Nyaribo, who ascended to the office of the governor following Nyagarama's death last year, has had his nomination of Mr James Gesami as his deputy rejected by the county assembly on account of alleged questionable statutory documents.

The ward reps accused Mr Gesami, a former MP for West Mugirango, of submitting before the assembly a questionable Credit Reference Bureau document and a certificate of good conduct.

Mr Bosire dismissed the assertions by the MCAs and accused outgoing CECs of being behind the scheme to undermine the new governor by holding him to ransom.

“Cartels are back in a bigger and most ugly way through the outgoing CECs. They want to continue milking the resources of the county at the expense of service delivery,” Mr Bosire said.

They urged the residents of the county — including elected leaders, politicians, religious leaders and other opinion leaders — to help resolve the standoff so that the county can forge forward in service delivery.

The professionals pleaded with the outgoing CECs to resist the temptation by cartels to derail the transition and asked them to withdraw the cases they have filed in court to allow the new leadership to deliver services to the people.

“Nyamira County is bigger than any one of us and we should be grateful whenever given a chance to serve and be always ready to also give others a chance to serve,” said Mr Bosire.