By Nyanza Wire 
As a concerned citizen and member of the public, I’ve followed the saga involving former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera and his Fairways Hospitality Kisumu Limited (which operates the Best Western hotel in Kisumu) with keen interest.
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Nyakera’s recent claims that Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo is somehow orchestrating his “tribulations” in Kisumu are nothing short of desperate deflection – baseless, tribalistic nonsense designed to stoke ethnic tensions and shift blame from his own monumental failures as a tenant and businessman.
Let me break this down with cold, hard facts and a clear sequence of events, drawn from court documents and public records. Nyakera’s woes are self-inflicted, rooted in chronic rent defaults, breached agreements, and a lack of foresight that has nothing to do with Omollo or any imagined vendetta.
First, let’s establish the basics: Nyakera, through Fairways Hospitality, leased prime property from the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) – a state corporation under the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), and Regional Development. Omollo, on the other hand, is the PS for Interior and National Administration, a completely different docket with zero oversight over LBDA or its assets.
How, then, could Omollo be “behind” enforcement actions against a delinquent tenant? It’s absurd. LBDA’s decisions are driven by legal and financial imperatives, not some shadowy influence from Interior. If Nyakera wants to point fingers, he should look in the mirror – or at his own history of sabotaging development in the region he now claims to love.
The sequence of Nyakera’s downfall starts long before any 2026 court drama. Back in August 2019, Fairways took over the LBDA-owned facility in Kisumu, riding high on Nyakera’s clout as PS for Planning in the Transport Ministry under the previous regime. He leveraged his position to secure the lease, but that’s where his “vision” ended. Instead of building a sustainable business, he slapped on the Best Western brand and jacked up prices to 3-4 times what comparable (and often better) hotels in Kisumu were charging – thinking international branding alone would attract premium clients. Newsflash: It didn’t. COVID-19 hit, sure, but every hotelier in Kenya faced that. Nyakera’s response? Plead for lease variations, which LBDA partially accommodated, but he still racked up massive arrears.
By June 3, 2025, the debt had ballooned to Kshs 27,431,473. Fairways signed a Consent Agreement with LBDA, explicitly acknowledging the full amount and committing to a structured repayment plan: fixed instalments with clear timelines. Clause 4 was crystal clear – “Upon default of any instalment, the entire balance becomes immediately due and payable, and the Authority may pursue any remedies available under the Lease and applicable law.” No ambiguity there. But Nyakera’s outfit breached it serially.
Letters from Fairways dated September 29, October 23, and December 4, 2025, admitted the defaults outright. They even tried paying the third instalment (Kshs 5,486,294.60) with six post-dated cheques that bounced due to “Insufficient Funds” – a criminal offence under Section 316A of the Penal Code. Additional monthly rent arrears from May 2025 piled on another Kshs 15,361,770.96, bringing the total mess to over Kshs 40 million by late 2025.
LBDA, fed up, issued a Rent Demand Notice on October 16, 2025, followed by a Proclamation Notice on October 21 for Kshs 25,303,909 in arrears. Nyakera’s team rushed to Kisumu High Court (HCCC/E028/2025) on October 27, seeking an injunction to halt the attachment and auction. Justice Alfred Mabeya’s ruling on the matter was damning: No prima facie case, because the debt was admitted and breaches proven. No irreparable harm, since LBDA is a stable entity capable of compensating any proven loss. The balance of convenience favoured LBDA in recouping its money before the debt became unrecoverable. The application was dismissed with costs on the spot. Nyakera’s excuses – COVID, economic hardship – fell flat against the evidence of his own admissions and bad cheques.
Undeterred, Nyakera engaged in blatant forum shopping in early 2026, filing similar applications in the Kisumu Magistrate’s Court (MCCC/E091/2026) without disclosing the High Court case. On February 12 and 13, 2026, ex parte orders were issued to restrain LBDA, join auctioneers as respondents, and compel the return of attached properties (including items from a 15,239 sq ft space on the ground to the fifth floors). The OCS Obunga Police Station was even directed to enforce compliance.
Truth caught up fast. On February 19, 2026, Magistrate Benson Ireri discharged those orders forthwith, citing sub judice (the matter was already before a superior court), exceeding pecuniary jurisdiction, and Fairways’ irregular non-disclosure of material facts. Ireri noted the orders impeded the High Court-approved execution process and were obtained through deceit.
The farce continued at the Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT/E006/2026). On February 25, 2026, more ex parte stays were granted, but by March 9, the Tribunal (under Hon. Joyce Osodo) issued a stay of those very orders pending inter partes hearing, with service required by March 16. Penal notices warned of consequences for disobedience. Throughout, no mention of Omollo – just a tenant dodging accountability.
Nyakera’s mismanagement isn’t isolated; it’s patterned on his past. As PS Transport, he publicly bragged about advising Uhuru Kenyatta against extending the SGR to Kisumu, claiming it wouldn’t be viable without a modern port (which he also didn’t push for). He chaired regional PSs for Northern Corridor projects but undermined developments in Luo Nyanza, opposing rail and road upgrades that could have boosted tourism and business at his own hotel. His ilk hated seeing progress in the region, viewing it through a tribal lens. Now, with LBDA under a different ministry, he cries foul? Spare us. His hate and lack of foresight – charging exorbitant rates while ignoring infrastructure needs – doomed the hotel. Customers stayed away, arrears mounted, and LBDA acted lawfully.
Blaming Omollo is peak hypocrisy. Omollo’s docket handles internal security, not parastatal leases. There’s zero evidence linking him to LBDA’s actions or any “goons” at the hotel (which Nyakera claimed attacked on March 11, 2026 – convenient timing for deflection). This targeted hate won’t work; it’s just Nyakera weaponising ethnicity to mask his failures. He should pay up, reflect on his role in stunting Nyanza’s growth, and stop dragging innocent officials into his mess. Kenya deserves better than failed elites playing victim.
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Walter Akillah