2022 politics cloud Nyaribo effort to appoint his deputy
Politics revolving around the contest for Nyamira governorship in 2022 has clouded efforts by Governor Amos Nyaribo to appoint a deputy.
Members of the Nyamira County Assembly yesterday voted to reject the nomination of former West Mugirango MP and Health assistant minister James Gesami for the post.
The MCAs rejected Gesami over claims he did not produce a certificate of Good Conduct and clearance from the Credit Reference Bureau.
Following the standoff, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) yesterday declared that it will nominate a candidate for transmission to the assembly for approval.
Political ambitions
However it is apparent that Gesami’s nomination is shrouded by the battle for governorship, with Borabu MP Ben Momanyi who has declared interest in the seat, rallying Ward Reps to reject the nominee.
Gesami contested the seat and lost to the late John Nyagarama. Momanyi asked the MCAs to reject Gesami, 69, over claims that he was too old for the job.
“As a lawyer, I am asking the county Assembly whose role is to vet and approve the name of the deputy governor and those of Executive Committee Members to reject them, because the appointing authority has ignored the plight of the youths,” Momanyi said.
Yesterday, former Senator Okong’o Mon’gare accused four MPs from the county of frustrating Nyaribo because of their political ambitions in 2022.
Mon’gare accused Momanyi (Borabu), Vincent Kemosi (West Mugirango), Shadarak Mose (Kitutu Masaba) and Nyamoko (North Mugirango) of using the speaker and the county Assembly to fight Nyaribo politically.
“The rejection of the nominee for the position of the deputy governor and a number of cases filed in court stopping the vetting of the county ministers, was a wider scheme by the legislators to undermine the governor,” said the former senator.
Mong’are said that the MPs were fighting Nyaribo because he had refused to nominate their friends as county ministers.
“The people of Nyamira county cannot allow a few disgruntled individuals to derail development in the county by sponsoring court cases and using MCA’s to sabotage the development agenda of the governor,” said Mong’are who contested for the governorship in the last election.
When governor Nyaribo was contacted he told the MPs and members of the county Assembly to give him humble time so that he can constitute his government.
Rejecting the name
Nyaribo also stood his ground that he will conduct his duties unperturbed.
“ I will not be intimidated by MCAs. We held a meeting with other leaders and agreed on the leadership of the county.
If the MCAs continue with their push, I will have no option but to petition the President to dissolve the county,” said Nyaribo yesterday.
The move is also likely to cost the current MPs and MCAs, who are said to be behind the rejection of the name .
Residents of the county have faulted the MCA’s for rejecting the name of Gesami arguing that the move was a waste since there are only eighteen months remaining before going to the next general elections .
The move has also sparked clan politics in that MCA’s and MPs who did not hail from the Gesami clan are said to behind his political turmoil .
Gesami comes from the Bigichora clan, who are now pointing an accusing finger against leaders from other clans who mooted and worked for his down fall.
The major causality will be Kemosi who hails from the same clan as Gesami but opposed his nomination.
