By Janet Nyanchoka
The Controller of Budget (COB) now wants the County Government of Nyamira to clarify who are the genuine officeholders of their County Assembly.
The request comes at a time when the crisis-ridden assembly is unable to operate as expected, thus hurting both its internal and external publics.
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On March 24th, the COB, Dr Margaret Nyakang’o wrote and addressed a letter to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Jones Omwenga seeking the clarification.
Dr. Nyakang’o stated that COB underscored the importance of upholding constitutionalism and respect for court decisions in managing the county’s finances.
The letter refers to three pending court cases against the county assembly, which are: Nyamira HCJR No. E007 of 2024: County Assembly of Nyamira vs. Enock Okero, Nyamira HCCHRPE T008 of 2024: Enock Okero v. Nyamira County Assembly and Others; and Milimani HCCC E050 of 2025: County Assembly of Nyamira v. Central Bank of Kenya.
Legitimate office bearers
Dr. Nyakang’o asserted that her office is bound by law in court judgments and will only admit officeholders whose legitimacy has been confirmed by the law.
She called on the county government to declare the rightful occupants of the Speaker and Clerk positions at the county assembly before any budgetary releases.
The leadership struggles in the Nyamira County Assembly have resulted into governance and financial disturbances, amid yet to succeed intervention by the judiciary.
The issues centre on contested appointments and power struggles within the assembly, further aggravating the challenges of county resources management.
The court battles are a result of recent leadership changes in the assembly, with various factions laying claim to legitimacy.
The COB directive is an indication of a possible freeze on financial releases to the county assembly until a legitimate leadership framework is put in place, according to sources.
The persistent uncertainty over leadership has jeopardized the service delivery by the county government.
Affected stakeholders, including Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and county officials, are holding their breath for legal decisions to determine the rightful occupants of key offices.
Political analysts are of the opinion that the logjam in leadership could negatively impact development projects and service delivery in the county.
Citizens have complained about stalled legislative work and the inability to adopt budgetary approaches critical to local development.
While the courtroom battle continues, residents await what the judiciary and county government can do to bring the crisis to an end.
The intervention of the COB is a wake-up call for governance disputes to be clarified to ensure the correct spending of public funds in the county.
