Advocate Mutuma: Nyamira governor’s impeachment driven more by politics
By Mabonga Makhanu, November 26, 2025Advocate Elias Mutuma, a well-known legal expert in impeachment cases, has come out to state that the impeachment of Governor Amos Nyaribo is driven more by political interests than by incompetence or any gross violation of the Constitution.
Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Advocate Mutuma, who has handled seven impeachment cases since 2022, pointed out that Nyaribo was successfully impeached by 23 Members of County Assembly (MCAs), with 13 voting to defend him.
This also came after three previous attempts that failed to meet the required threshold. Mutuma emphasised that Nyaribo’s impeachment is not a reflection of his performance or failure to deliver on his mandate.
“It is not unique to Nyamira County. In my experience, impeachment cases are rarely about the competence or suitability of the governor. Resources, succession politics, and the flexing of political muscles usually drive them. The pattern is the same across counties like Meru, Kericho, Kisii, and Isiolo,” Mutuma said
Mutuma further elaborated that, legally, for a governor to be taken through an impeachment process, there must be clear evidence of gross violation of the Constitution.
In his seven cases representing governors and county assemblies, he rarely found instances that met this threshold.
Most of the allegations relate to administrative procedures, employment disputes, or general conduct, which are often presented as gross violations when brought before the Senate.
“While governors are not angels, the evidence presented in most cases does not meet the legal threshold,” he noted. “Instead of being used as an oversight and accountability tool, impeachment is often turned into a weapon to pressure governors into yielding to the demands of certain MCAs. This appears to be the case in Nyamira County.”
Deputy governor’s role in impeachment
Mutuma also outlined the role of deputy governors in impeachment moves. He explained that in many instances, the push to remove county heads is instigated by deputy governors, who stand to benefit if their bosses are stripped of power. This motivates them to invest significant resources in influencing MCAs to ensure the removal of their superiors.
Since, according to the constitution, if a governor is impeached, his deputy is sworn in with immediate effect.