Homa Bay County Assembly Speaker Julius Odhiambo Gaya has resigned, just weeks after being summoned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for alleged unethical conduct.
The resignation was confirmed during assembly proceedings with Deputy Speaker Okings Okomo formally notifying members of the development.
Gaya’s resignation came amid mounting pressure and a near-unanimous push for his ouster. Majority Leader Richard Ogindo indicated that preliminary findings showed 53 out of 54 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were in favor of removing Gaya from office.
Ogindo remarked that Gaya’s decision to step down was prudent, as it pre-empted an impeachment motion that was anticipated in the assembly.
The exact reasons behind Gaya’s resignation, as well as the grounds for the impeachment effort, remain undisclosed by both the Majority Leader and the Deputy Speaker.
However, sources suggest that Gaya faced significant opposition within the assembly and chose to step aside rather than confront an impending impeachment process.
Gaya’s resignation follows an October 8 summons by the EACC, which had called both him and the then-county assembly clerk, Anne Ager, to its South Nyanza regional office in Kisii for questioning.
The two were required to provide documents, with Gaya instructed to submit the original letter for his application as county assembly speaker, as well as a copy of the job advertisement for the speaker role.
Ager was also asked to present her appointment letter and related assembly minutes.
The EACC’s South Nyanza Regional Manager, Kipsang Sambai, stated in the summons letter that the investigation aimed to review allegations of unethical conduct among public officers.
While the nature of the allegations remains unspecified, the inquiry has brought considerable scrutiny to the leadership of Homa Bay’s county assembly.
Gaya’s resignation concludes a turbulent period in his tenure, with one assembly member reportedly remaining in his support amid widespread calls for change.
Gaya was last seen publicly over the weekend at an ODM party meeting, where he played a ceremonial role, ushering in fellow speakers.
