KILIFI, County— Former Kilifi County Assembly Speaker Teddy Mwambire has accused National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader and Kilifi North MP Owen Baya of being behind his political troubles, including the process that led to his removal as Speaker of the county assembly.
Mwambire, who is now the People’s Renaissance Movement national Chairperson, has blamed Baya as he reflects on the political battles that culminated in his ouster from the county assembly leadership.
The former speaker alleges that Baya played a leading role in the process to remove him from office, linking the development to what he describes as wider political problems facing Kilifi County.
Mwambire’s accusations reopen a political battle that played out inside the Kilifi County Assembly in June and July 2025, when ward representatives moved to remove him from the powerful position he had occupied since 2022.
The ouster motion was initiated by Tezo Ward MCA Thomas Chengo, who accused Mwambire of gross misconduct, incompetence, abuse of office and violations of the Constitution and the Assembly’s Standing Orders.
Among the issues raised against Mwambire was his alleged interference with the Assembly’s committees and budget-making processes. He was also accused of compromising the political neutrality expected of the Speaker’s office through his involvement in ODM grassroots politics in Ganze.
The impeachment motion secured overwhelming support in the Assembly, with 40 MCAs voting in favour of Mwambire’s removal and 10 voting against, according to contemporary reports.
Mwambire’s removal came despite his political standing in the county and his position as the then ODM Kilifi branch chairman. He had also previously served as Magarini MP and had remained an influential figure in Coast politics.
The Assembly subsequently elected Catherine Kenga as Speaker on July 21, 2025, with 41 of the 47 MCAs voting in her favour. Kenga became the first woman to hold the position since the advent of devolution in the six Coast counties.
Mwambire has previously disputed the political circumstances surrounding his removal, describing the impeachment as a political witch-hunt linked to the 2027 succession battle. In an August 2026 interview following his move from ODM to the People’s Renaissance Movement, he accused Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro of organising MCAs against him.
His latest remarks, however, bring Baya directly into the centre of the dispute, with the former speaker now accusing the Kilifi North MP of leading the process that he says contributed to his downfall.
Baya was among the prominent political figures who opposed Mwambire during the controversy surrounding his leadership of the county assembly, making the latest accusations likely to reopen political divisions within Kilifi ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Mwambire’s political comeback has also given the dispute a new dimension. He formally joined the People’s Renaissance Movement in 2026 and was subsequently appointed the party’s national chairman. The party, which has positioned itself as an opposition political vehicle, was fully registered in April 2026.
Mwambire has since announced plans to contest the Ganze parliamentary seat in the 2027 elections, potentially placing him back in direct competition for political influence in Kilifi.
The renewed accusations against Baya therefore come at a politically significant moment as Coast politicians begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 contest.
For now, Mwambire’s claims remain allegations, and the latest accusations do not by themselves establish that Baya orchestrated the Assembly vote. What is clear is that the fallout from Mwambire’s removal continues to shape political alignments in Kilifi, with the former speaker now seeking to rebuild his political base under a new party banner.
