The Senate is bracing for two intense days of impeachment hearings as the trial of Nyamira Governor Amos Kimwomi Nyaribo officially begins on Wednesday morning. Preparations have been concluded for the plenary proceedings, which will run on December 3 and 4 and are expected to draw national attention as Senators determine whether the embattled county chief will survive the charges brought against him.
The trial will open with the formal reading of the allegations levelled against Governor Nyaribo, after which he will be required to enter a plea. The Nyamira County Assembly, which impeached him last week, will then take the lead in prosecuting the case. Its legal team is expected to lay out documents, witness statements and arguments in a bid to convince the Senate that the Governor violated the Constitution and abused his office.
Once the Assembly concludes its presentation, the Governor’s defence team will mount its fightback. They are anticipated to dispute the accusations, challenge the evidence, cross-examine witnesses and call their own in an attempt to dismantle the case against him. The hearings will culminate on Thursday when Senators debate the Motion and vote. A majority of county delegations will be required to either uphold the impeachment or reinstate the Governor to office.
The trial follows a formal communication from the Speaker of the Nyamira County Assembly to the Senate, referenced SPK/CAN/1/2025 and dated November 25, detailing the approval of the impeachment Motion. The notification, received on November 26, was accompanied by records of the Assembly’s proceedings.
Governor Nyaribo finds himself facing two broad accusations. The first concerns alleged gross violations of the Constitution and other laws. According to the Assembly, the Governor played a central role in the controversial and unconstitutional “Bunge Mashinani” initiative. He is also accused of giving illegal assent to the Nyamira County Supplementary Appropriation Bill of 2024, and of making an unlawful appointment of Dr Peris Nyaboke Oroko—also known as Peris Mongare—to the County Executive Committee. The Assembly further faults him for irregularly appointing members of the Nyamira and Keroka municipal boards, and for constituting an unlawful Selection Panel for the County Public Service Board while failing to appoint its leadership. It also alleges that he did not deliver the mandatory State of the County Address and annual reports, and that he disregarded court orders requiring him to appoint Mr Clive Ogwora to the Executive.
The second accusation centres on abuse of office. The Assembly claims the Governor oversaw staff recruitment without budgetary provision, interfered with senior human resource appointments and unlawfully benefited from irregular salary arrears. It further accuses him of presiding over a payroll fraud scheme that cost taxpayers money, and of making double appointments outside the legal establishment. According to the Assembly, he even usurped the responsibilities of both the Auditor-General and the County Public Service Board, and acted outside the law when he suspended the CPSB Secretary.
The Senate had initially considered forming an 11-member select committee to investigate the matter after Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot moved a Motion to that effect. However, the proposal collapsed after it failed to attract a seconder, leaving the full House to hear the case in plenary.
Following the Speaker’s directives, the Clerk of the Senate issued formal Invitations to Appear on November 27, with strict timelines requiring both sides to file their responses by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 1. All documents submitted by the parties, along with the official hearing programme, are to be circulated to Senators by the close of business today.
As the Senate prepares to sit as a trial court, all eyes will be on Parliament to see whether Governor Nyaribo can successfully defend himself or whether Thursday’s vote will seal his removal from office.
