Embattled Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Enock Okero was impeached yesterday despite securing a court order stopping the process.

Some 23 ward reps voted to remove him, while 11 abstained.

Thomas Vincent Benecha (Kiabonyoru), the mover of the motion, tabled seven grounds for Okero’s impeachment.

They included gross violation of Section 36 of the 2017 County Assembly Services Act by failing to prepare and lay before the House a report on the County Assembly Service Board’s operations as required by the law.

The Speaker was also accused of discriminating against some ward reps, in violation of Article 27(4) and (5) of the Constitution.

Benecha also accused Okero of disobeying or ignoring the recommendations of the Commission of Revenue Allocation.

Okero also allegedly retained two County Assembly Service Board members though they had been recalled by their nominating or appointing political parties and coalitions, contrary to the 2017 County Assemblies Service Act.

Another charge was that he allegedly usurped the functions and mandate of the House business committee in violation of Standing Order N0.154 of the county assembly.

Okero also allegedly violated Section 12 of the 2003 Public Officer Ethics Act and Section 16 of the 2012 Leadership and Integrity Act by trading with the county government through proxies and by influencing the appointment of his relatives to the County Assembly Service Board.

Gross misconduct
In the session that was chaired by acting Speaker Thaddeus Nyabaro, Okero was also accused of gross misconduct by allegedly abetting and orchestrating hooliganism at the county assembly by hiring goons who caused mayhem and endangered the lives of MCAs while he was on suspension.

In his defence, Okero denied all the accusations, terming them witch-hunt.
“All the allegations levelled against me are pure malice and if I’m given access to my office, I will produce evidence to justify the same,” he stated.

He declined to comment on some of the allegations he faced, saying they were the subject of court cases.