Former Nyamira Speaker Enock Okero loses bid to return to office
Judge, however, says it is the onus of the MCAs to decide who would be their Speaker
Former Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Enock Okero was rightly impeached, a Bomet court has held.
The decision is likely to bring an end to leadership wrangles that have been raging in the county.
Delivering his ruling today, Justice Julius Kipkosgei said Okero was removed from the office of the Speaker of Nyamira County in October last year and should not be acting in any way as the speaker of the devolved unit house.
The court also quashed all the gazette notices that Okero had published after securing protection from the Courts and which favored his continued stay in the office after the controversial impeachment, which the Bomet Court said was legally done.
Among the gazette notices are those that authorised Bunge Mashinani (parliament held in public places), the appointment of new acting assembly clerk Sylvanus Nyamora, and those that announced public participation exercises.
Kipkosgei said in his ruling that the court had no constitutional mandate to interfere with the running of other constitutional bodies and, therefore, the impeachment of Okero was legally in order.
On the question of who is the legal speaker of the House, the court remained silent, saying it was the onus of the MCAs to decide who would be their Speaker.
Today’s ruling comes after the Senate had asked Okero to cease his operations, warning that he would be surcharged all the allowances and benefits he has earned since his impeachment.
The County Assembly of Nyamira has been running in two factions.
One faction is led by Okero, who operated at Bunge Mashinani venues, and that led by Thadeus Nyabaro, who was elected Speaker after the contested ouster of Okero.
The Members of the County Assembly for Nyamira impeached Okero on allegations of impropriety in a dramatic ejection while he was presiding over the assembly session of the fateful day.
