Embattled Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo fights impeachment

Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo when he appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) at Bunge Tower, Parliament , May 19th ,2024 [Elvis Ogina,Standard]

Anti-riot police officers deployed to guard Isiolo Members County Assembly (MCAs) who returned to chambers Wednesday to discuss the way forward after the High Court temporarily blocked the impeachment of Governor Abdi Guyo.

The deployment was to pre-empt clashes between supporters of the embattled governor and the MCAs.

On Monday, the MCAs were unable to access the Assembly after the Governor and his key staff camped within precincts of the Assembly. They, however, managed to enter the compound later at night, where they briefly had an informal closed-door meeting.

The Assembly staff and MCAs returned on Wednesday at around 5.30 am to start their work for the day, only to be distracted by the sounds of gunshots outside as police restrained supporters of both camps.   

Guyo, accompanied by some of his senior executives, managed to enter the compound after the governor informed police his office was also located in the same building. The MCAs want Guyo to vacate the Assembly.

The Executive has been hosted at the Assembly building since 2013, while its headquarters at the old Isiolo hospital, whose construction cost Sh750 million, has stalled.

Meanwhile the 16 out of the Assembly's 18 MCAs, sources revealed, moved to replace their Majority leader Abdirashid Gira, who represents Garba-Tula Ward, replacing him with Abubakar Godana, mover of the motion seeking to impeach Guyo. 

The MCAs also formally replaced Clerk Salad Boru, whom they accused of leaking the Assembly's confidential documents to the Executive with Yussuf Haji Boru, on acting capacity.

They also reconstituted membership in the various committees. Mr Gira and his Kinna Ward counterpart Abdinoor Dima were removed from key committees.

The MCAs have declined to speak to the media. 

Meanwhile, Speaker Mohammed Qoto dismissed as fake news that indicated that he had resigned via a WhatsApp message saying: ''I am fully on the steering wheel''.

According to Qoto, the MCAs had withdrawn the earlier motion to impeach the Governor on grounds that it was defective.

On Monday, Justice Heston Nyaga issued a conservatory order restraining the Assembly from proceeding with the impeachment motion until inter-parties hearing set for June 30, 2025.