This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
Onyango Oloo, the former Kisumu County Assembly Speaker, has been dealt a major blow after the High Court upheld his impeachment. The court ruling, delivered by Justice Nduma Nderi, marked a significant milestone in the history of the Kisumu County Assembly, as it was the first time since 2013 that a Speaker's impeachment had been upheld by the court.
According to the court ruling, Oloo's impeachment was done in accordance with the law, and he was given a chance to defend himself before the House after he was served with a notice of motion of impeachment. The judge noted that Hansard reports indicated that Oloo was served with a notice of impeachment via an email, and the facts in the Hansard report were proven facts that the court treated as such.
One of the grounds that led to Oloo's impeachment was his decision to suspend three MCAs from the House, which the County Assembly listed as one of the reasons for his removal. In his suit, Oloo had sought for six orders, including an order reinstating him as the Speaker and having all his benefits, privileges, and allowances reinstated by the court.
However, the court ruled that Oloo's claim that he was barred by hooligans from accessing the County Assembly was a disputed fact. The judge also noted that Oloo admitted receipt of the notice of impeachment but failed to appear before the House, and that he only said that he was not given time to respond.
As a result of the court ruling, Oloo has been ordered to return County Assembly assets in his possession, including a vehicle that was assigned to him. The court ruling marks another huge blow for Oloo, who has survived a number of controversies and had gotten a new lifeline after the ODM party supported him and urged its members to vote for him as speaker.
Onyango Oloo was impeached on September 19, 2019, after being accused of abuse of office, unlawful suspension of MCAs, and being linked to the Lake Basin Mall scandal. The case he is facing at the Nairobi Anti-Corruption court also came back to haunt him, with the judge ruling that the case had an inclination on the sanity of the office he held.
