Guyo’s date with Senate beckons after last-ditch legal moves falter » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30 – Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo is set to fight for his political survival before the Senate from July 8 following his impeachment by Isiolo County Assembly which proceeded despite a court order halting the process.

Guyo mounted a vicious fight against the impeachment with the County Clerk even denying media reports on the impeachment that had sixrteen of eighteen Members of County Assembly (MCAs) vote for the removal of the county chief.

Despite the denials however, the Senate confirmed recieving a letter from the County Assembly inviting it to conduct a comfirmation trial.

Guyo had obtained orders from High Court Judge Heston Nyaga declaring the County Assembly’s impeachment proceedings invalid and barring any further action.

He ruled that any attempt to remove the governor without first lifting the court order would be legally null and void.

The judge also found Isiolo County Assembly Speaker Mohammed Roba in contempt of court and ordered him to appear in court on June 30 to explain why he should not face penalties for defying judicial authority.

Despite the injunction, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi directed that the Senate will sit on July 8 and 9 to hear the impeachment case keeping with Parliament’s tradition to overlook court injuctions on its legislative roles.

Kingi directed parties to file their responses with the Clerk of the Senate by July 4, with the Claerk in turn circulating the documents by July 7.

The Senate also voted to handle Governor Guyo’s case via plenary after a motion to establish an 11-member special committee to hear the matter collapsed.

The motion, tabled by Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale, failed after Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo declined to second it.

Legal questions have emerged regarding the legality of the County Assembly’s process.

Governor Guyo had filed a petition to block an earlier impeachment motion tabled on June 10, but the Assembly reportedly introduced a fresh motion on June 18 in an apparent attempt to sidestep the existing court order.

However, the new motion was reportedly not gazetted, and no public communication was made regarding the venue of the Assembly’s sitting with Guyo’s legal team arguing that the impeachment was conducted outside a lawfully designated venue.

Lawyers Eric Theuri and Elias Mutuma, representing Governor Guyo,filed a contempt application against the County Assembly Speaker and Clerk.

Justice Nyaga directed both officials to appear in person to respond, after their legal counsel declined to confirm whether the Assembly had complied with the conservatory order.

Impeachment charges

Governor Guyo is facing a raft of charges, including gross violation of the Constitution.

Key accusations include:

  • 1. Failure to deliver the State of the County Address for three consecutive years, a statutory requirement.
  • 2. Illegally hiring 36 advisors, 31 Chief Officers, and two Deputy County Secretaries—despite the county having only six departments—raising the wage bill to 46 per cent of annual revenue, well above the legal ceiling of 35 per cent.
  • 3. Creating positions without the involvement of the County Public Service Board.
  • Ignoring multiple Assembly resolutions, particularly those aimed at controlling the county’s public debt.
  • 4. Unaccounted bursary funds, totaling Sh30 million.

He is also accused of abusing office by issuing irregular employment contracts, creating job insecurity among staff, and fostering a climate of fear within the county administration.

The Assembly claims that Chief Officers were appointed on short-term contracts, while contracts for County Executive Committee Members were left to lapse—disrupting service delivery.

Governor Guyo is also accused of misconduct for allegedly making sexist and demeaning remarks about Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo.

The Assembly described the comments as psychological gender-based violence, undermining the dignity of public office.

Further accusations involve divisive and discriminatory comments toward other clans in Isiolo, allegedly deepening ethnic tensions and eroding public trust.

Additionally, the Governor is accused of running county affairs remotely from Nairobi, a practice the Assembly claims has paralyzed service delivery on the ground.

Courts vs. Parliament

Despite the court injunctions, the Senate has proceeded with preparations to hear the case, reviving the perpetual clash between the judiciary and legislature over constitutional authority and autonomy.

Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi previously ruled that courts cannot issue injunctions to halt or interfere with the internal workings of Parliament—including its calendar, debates, or committee sessions.

Muturi warned against what he terms as ‘judicial overreach’, arguing that honoring such court directives would amount to surrendering Parliament’s legislative independence.

“Parliament is a constitutional organ with its own mandate. Obeying such orders would be idiotic and unreasonable,” he said at the time.

As the Senate prepares to hear the case next week, the nation will be watching closely to see whether Governor Guyo survives the political storm—or becomes the latest casualty of an impeachment.