Homa Bay County Assembly Speaker Elizabeth Ayoo has been impeached over alleged incompetence.
Ayoo was impeached after being voted out by 47 out of 60 MCAs.
In a motion tabled by Ruma Kaksingri MCA Ellyphalet Osuri, the MCAs accused Ms Ayoo of poor leadership and mismanagement of the county assembly resources and affairs.
Tabling the motion, Osuri argued that Ayoo had failed to meet the integrity test required of a county assembly speaker.
He said the Speaker had mishandled the County Assembly mace which went missing for more than ten days before its recovery last Sunday.
The mace is a symbol of authority of the county assembly.
“Madam Speaker’s laxity caused the mace to be transferred to an unknown destination by allowing persons not permitted to touch it. This rendered the assembly incapacitated,” said Osuri.
Other accusations leveled against the Speaker included unilateral alteration of the assembly calendar, stage-managing disorder which includes barring some MCAs from accessing the county assembly premises and failing to meet transparency and accountability test.
Nominated MCA Judith Omogi told Homa Bay residents to shun mentality that Ayoo was impeached because she is a woman.
Ms Omogi said they decided to vote out Ayoo due to underperformance which had plunged the assembly into persistent wrangles.
“We are not impeaching the Speaker because she is a woman. We are impeaching her because she cannot perform her roles effectively,” said Omogi.
North Kabuoch MCA George Okello said they had to impeach Ayoo to redeem the image of the county assembly.
“For us to bring order to this assembly, Ayoo must go. For us to eradicate frustrations of employees, Ayoo must go. For us to eradicate discrimination in this assembly, Ayoo must go,” said Okello.
The county assembly staff burst into celebrations immediately after her impeachment.
A number of them who sought anonymity said the impeachment would reduce oppression they have been undergoing due to bad leadership.
Deputy Speaker Evans Marieba who presided over the business will continue in acting capacity until a new Speaker is elected.
However, a faction of MCAs led by former Majority Leader Richard Ogindo boycotted the proceeding.
Ayoo’s impeachment comes barely one month after Ogindo was impeached.
Ogindo’s post was taken by Kanyadoto MCA Walter Muok.
