Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo will remain in office after the Senate terminated impeachment proceedings against him late Wednesday night, halting a dramatic political battle on a procedural technicality. In a decisive vote, 38 senators moved to uphold a preliminary objection raised by the governor's legal team, against only four who opposed the move, effectively ending the trial before it could delve into the substantive allegations.

The decision brings an abrupt end to the fourth attempt to oust Nyaribo, a move that threatened to plunge the county into a leadership crisis. The core issue hinged not on the governor's alleged misconduct, but on whether the Nyamira County Assembly secured the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority to pass the impeachment motion on November 25, 2025.

A Battle of Numbers

Governor Nyaribo's lawyers, led by Elias Mutuma, successfully argued that the 23 votes cast by Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) fell short of the required threshold of 24, which represents two-thirds of the 35-member assembly. The defense team further complicated the assembly's case by alleging that only 19 MCAs were physically present for the vote, describing the resulting 23 votes as a "joke of the year" and numerically impossible.

The County Assembly's counsel, Katwa Kigen, countered that the threshold should be based on the assembly's current effective membership, accounting for vacancies, but this argument failed to persuade the Senate. The controversy deepened with allegations that proxy voting was unlawfully used to achieve the impeachment numbers, with at least three MCAs filing a formal police complaint alleging their signatures were forged.

Grave Allegations Left Unheard

While the proceedings were cut short, the charges brought against Governor Nyaribo by the County Assembly were serious and wide-ranging. The motion, sponsored by Bonyamatuta MCA Julius Kimwomi Matwere, accused the governor of gross violation of the constitution and abuse of office. Key allegations included:

• Unlawful staff recruitment, which allegedly bloated the county wage bill by KES 325 million annually against the advice of the anti-graft commission.
• Authorising an irregular payment of KES 5 million to himself as salary arrears.
• Supporting an unconstitutional "Bunge Mashinani" (People's Assembly) and making illegal appointments.
• Failing to deliver the annual State of the County Address for two consecutive years.

Governor Nyaribo had pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of the Senate hearing.

A Future in Question

In his statement following the vote, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi confirmed the outcome: "The impeachment proceedings stand terminated, and Hon. Nyaribo remains in office." The decision, however, leaves the underlying political turmoil in Nyamira unresolved. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot noted the recurring procedural disputes in impeachments, faulting Parliament for failing to enact a clear law to guide the process. For the residents of Nyamira, the question remains whether their leaders can now move past the political infighting to focus on service delivery or if this is merely a pause in a long-running battle for control.