Kilifi County has elected a new County Assembly speaker weeks after ousting former speaker Teddy Mwambire, who is an ally of ODM Party leader Raila Odinga.

In a vote on the County Assembly floor on Monday, July 21, 2025, 41 out of 47 MCAs voted in favour of Catherine Kenga, who now takes control of the assembly, to become the first female speaker in the six coastal counties since the inception of devolution in 2013.

In a statement on Monday, July 21, 2025, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro congratulated Kenga for her election to the influential seat, noting that she opens the door for other women to lead.

Overwhelming vote

“Congratulations to Hon. Catherine Kenga on your election as Speaker of the Kilifi County Assembly. I had the honour of witnessing her swearing-in today, after securing 41 out of 47 votes cast,” Mung’aro said.

“As the first woman elected to this position, Hon. Kenga sets a powerful example and opens the door for more women to lead. I also commend all the other candidates for their participation and commitment to public service.”

Mwambire was formally impeached on Monday, July 1, 2025, following a motion supported by a significant majority of the county’s ward representatives. Forty out of fifty Members of County Assembly (MCAs) voted in favor of his removal, citing allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence, abuse of office, and sabotage.

Accusations

The impeachment motion, initiated by Tezo ward MCA Thomas Chengo, outlined several key accusations against Mwambire. A primary grievance was his alleged undermining of county assembly committees and failure to observe procedural fairness, particularly concerning the budget-making process.

Mwambire, a close ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga and the ODM Kilifi branch chairman, was accused of compromising the political neutrality of his office. MCAs pointed to his active participation in the ODM grassroots elections in Ganze sub-County, where he unsuccessfully contested for a chairmanship position and later appealed the outcome.

Despite being given an opportunity to defend himself before a five-member ad hoc committee formed to investigate the allegations, Mwambire did not appear.