Nyagarama jolted as court trashes appointments

Nyamira deputy governor Amos Nyaribo

Nyagarama then picked new nominees whose names he forwarded for vetting by Nyamira county assembly before the Kisumu Labour and Employment Relation High Court issued an order stopping the exercise include Samson Barongo (education and vocational training), Pauline Oyugi (agriculture, fisheries and livestock), Shem Kiage (environment, water, energy and mining), Stella Nyambariga (gender, youth, sports and culture), and Stella Anyega (trade, tourism and cooperative development).

Earlier, deputy governor Amos Nyaribo had denounced the changes which he said were done behind his back and were thus, geared at injuring him politically and undermining his candidature for the seat of the governor which he has already declared his candidature for come the next general elections to take from the incumbent.

Peris Mong’are

Without mincing words, Nyaribo rubbished the changes terming them as inconsequential as they were politically motivated and influenced, nepotism based and above all, lacked regional balance. The emotionally charged Nyaribo had told the Kenyan Digest that Governor Nyagarama did not consult him when he made changes as per the tradition and a memorandum of understanding which they had signed and therefore, vowed to teach him a political lesson which he could not forget.

“The changes were merely meant to bring on board people who could protect him from the economic and political crimes he has committed after his retirement.

But I want to tell him broad daylight that things are not going be the manner and way he has planned,” he told this writer. Nyaribo was quick to drag the name of the Borabu MP Ben Momanyi who is his cousin and whom Nyagarama wants to succeed him after his term expires.

Ben Momanyi

After Nyagarama bundled out the four members of the county executive committee, they quickly moved to Kisumu Labour and Employment Relation High Court where they filed their case before the orders were granted.

Judge Mathew Nderi ruled that the four should stay back in their offices until the matter is heard and determined. But before the matter was heard Nyagarama moved to the same court to challenge the orders but his petition was dismissed.

Nyamira county secretary James Natabo said the four were allowed back to take their positions through the court order. “As a county government, we respect court orders and therefore we had nothing to do but to allow them to come back as per the court order,” Natabo told Kenyan Digest.

He said the appointing authority of the members of the county executive was the prerogative of the governor and therefore never wished to be dragged into the matter.

Douglas Bosire

The 634 employees had been removed from the payroll on grounds that they were improperly employed. The Kenya county government workers secretary Patrick Mobegi welcomed the ruling saying that justice had been done to the workers who had been oppressed by the top leadership of the county.

Talking to this writer Mobegi said that the ruling should not be challenged as rumours were being peddled in the county corridors and told the county government to immediately move with speed to reinstate the workers back to the payroll and subsequently be paid their salaries arrears without any delay.

Mobegi said he would not be cowed by the county government authorities in the course of fighting and championing for the rights of the county workers.