Nyamira County has plunged into a constitutional crisis as two rival factions within its County Assembly continue to operate parallel legislative houses, each with its own Speaker, Clerk, sittings, and requests for funding—raising alarms over the legality of operations and potential misuse of public funds.
The shocking revelation that Nyamira currently has two functioning assemblies was laid bare on April 8 during a session of the Senate Devolution Committee, leaving senators stunned and deeply concerned.
The origin of the standoff traces back to the controversial impeachment of Speaker Enock Okero four months ago. Despite being ousted, Okero has since been holding sittings outside the official assembly chambers, claiming the Nyamira Assembly premises are unsafe and that his removal was illegal—currently under challenge in court.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Thaddeus Nyabaro has stepped into the role, presiding over sessions at the main Assembly building. His faction insists Okero’s sittings are unconstitutional and are calling for disciplinary action against him.
The Senate’s attempt to mediate ended in more drama than resolution, as Senators Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira) and Richard Onyonka (Kisii) nearly came to blows during a heated exchange.
Onyonka later called for a peaceful resolution, stressing that the impasse risks undermining service delivery in the county and could warrant suspension of the entire county government under Article 192 of the Constitution.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o disclosed that her office has received funding requests from both factions, but she is uncertain which one to honor. She emphasized that the Controller of Budget only deals with the County Executive, not the County Assembly directly, further complicating matters.
“This is the first time we are seeing something like this,” Nyakang’o told the Senate. “We need proper clarification on who is legally in office to avoid misappropriation of funds.”
Legal experts and political analysts warn that if the situation persists, President William Ruto may be compelled to dissolve the county government, as per Article 192, on grounds of constitutional crisis and breakdown of governance.
