High Court upholds impeachment of Nyamira Speaker Okero

Impeached Nyamira County Assembly Enock Okero when he appeared before the Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee at County Hall, Nairobi on April 8, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The High Court has upheld the ouster of Nyamira Speaker Enock Okero, bringing to an end House leadership wrangles that had lasted eight months.

Justice Julius Kipkosgei Ng'arng'ar, while delivering the judgment in a matter that had been presented by Kepha Moenga, a resident, said Okero was constitutionally removed from his office in October 2024, and he should not be acting in any way as the House Speaker.

Ng'arng'ar 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 authorized Bunge Mashinani (parliament held in public places), appointment of new acting assembly clerk Sylvanus Nyamora and those that announced public participation exercises.

Justice Ng'arng'ar 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 was 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.

The ruling at Bomet came days after the Senate also delved into the Assembly issues and determined that Okero's faction cease operations and that he also 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, whose operations have been at Bunge Mashinani venues and that led by Thadeus Nyabaro who was elected Speaker after the contested ouster of Okero.