Last Updated on February 28, 2025 by Turkana County News Online
Members of the Turkana County Assembly have welcomed the resignation of embattled Speaker Christopher Nakuleu, who stepped down following an impeachment motion against him over allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence, and other serious violations.
Led by Majority Leader Stephen Edukon (Turkwel Ward MCA) and a member of the Impeachment Select Committee, the MCAs stated that Nakuleu chose to resign rather than face the committee, as the six grounds for his impeachment were legitimate and would have led to further embarrassment.
Six Grounds for Impeachment
MCA Edukon emphasized that the impeachment process was initiated based on concrete evidence against the Speaker. After thorough investigations, the select committee identified six key findings:
1. Abuse of Office for Personal Gain
Speaker Nakuleu was found to have misused his office to advance personal interests, particularly through irregular staff appointments. One notable case was the promotion of Caiphas Ngasike, his former partisan staff member. Ngasike, who initially joined the assembly as a finance officer, was rapidly promoted to Deputy Director of Administration and later to Director of Finance and Accounting—despite lacking the required qualifications, such as membership in the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
2. Irregular Staffing
Findings stated that between September 2022 and December 2024, 215 staff members were added to the county assembly without following due process. According to official memos dated June 26, 2023, November 17, 2023, and December 4, 2023, these appointments were made without proper advertisements or interviews, violating human resource policies.
3. Defying Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) Directives
According to the findings, Nakuleu presided over a County Assembly Service Board that ignored CRA guidelines, which recommended a staff establishment of 100 members to support the 30-member county assembly.
4. Failure in Leadership
As the head of the institution, Nakuleu reportedly failed to ensure statutory deductions were remitted, suppliers and contractors were paid, and ward office funds were properly managed.
5. Gross Misconduct
The Speaker was also accused of hostility towards MCAs and making disparaging public remarks against both assembly members and the Turkana County Woman Representative.
6. Misleading the Public
The finding further stated that Nakuleu allegedly misinformed the public about the county assembly’s role in the budget-making process, spreading false information instead of providing transparent leadership.
MCA Edukon dismissed claims that the impeachment was linked to relief food distribution, clarifying that the decision was based solely on Nakuleu’s mismanagement of the assembly and his pursuit of personal interests through irregular staffing and financial negligence.
