Nyamira county faces possible suspension as two rival factions fight to control the County Assembly.
On April 9, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka raised concerns about the crisis and called for a peaceful resolution.
“If they don’t agree as adults, the Senate Committee on Devolution may recommend disbanding the county,” Onyonka said during a Citizen TV interview.
On April 8, senators were shocked to learn Nyamira has two assemblies, each with its own Speaker, sittings, and allowances.
The Senate Devolution Committee had met both factions in the Senate but failed to resolve the dispute.
Each assembly is seeking funds from the Controller of Budget and has its own clerk.
This raised concerns about the legality of proceedings and the misuse of public funds.
Speaker Enock Okero, impeached four months ago, now holds sittings at gazetted locations outside the main assembly.
He said the main assembly was unsafe and that his impeachment is being challenged in court.
Meanwhile,
Deputy Speaker Thaddeus Nyabaro leads a rival faction that holds sittings in
Nyamira Assembly buildings.
The faction claims Okero's sittings are illegal and called for sanctions against him.
Both groups returned to Nyamira with no agreement and continue to hold separate sessions.
The Senate committee, led by Senator Sheikh Abbass, failed to broker a truce between the factions.
At one point, Senators Okongo Omogeni and Onyonka clashed during the session, nearly leading to a physical altercation.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said her office received letters from both assemblies, and that she was unsure which one to process.
She
clarified that her office works with the County Finance Executive, not directly
with county assemblies.
“I would like to clarify that my office does not deal directly with County Assemblies regarding fund disbursement,” Nyakang’o said.
“We work with the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Finance, and the assembly’s allocation is included in the overall county disbursement.”
She said the official records recognise Okero and Clerk Silvanus Nyamora based on County Finance records.
Senator Omogeni asked how funds could be preserved to prevent possible losses due to the ongoing stalemate.
Nyakang’o said her office does not monitor transactions, only budget usage at a vote level.
She said each faction must rely on internal auditors and that political disputes are beyond her mandate.
Okero told
the committee his removal began after MCAs voted to impeach Governor Amos
Nyaribo.
Twenty-two MCAs supported the motion, accusing the Governor of backing Okero.
Okero said a High Court order from December 16 recognised him as Speaker and has not been vacated.
“There are High Court orders issued on December 16 that preserved me as the Speaker of the Nyamira County Assembly,” he told the committee, adding that these orders have not been overturned.
He claimed conducting sittings in gazetted venues is legal and necessary for his safety.
Nyabaro insisted that due process was followed in impeaching Okero and accused him of operating outside legal premises.
He said official assembly activities, including the use of the mace, occur in Nyamira Town.
Nyabaro claimed that Governor Nyaribo is supporting the Okero-led faction.
Both groups returned to Nyamira and maintained their
hardline positions, each insisting on holding Wednesday's sittings in their
respective chambers.
