Senate Begins Hearings on Isiolo Governor Guyo’s Impeachment » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya June 30 — The Senate was on Monday set to begin deliberations on the impeachment of Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan Guyo, following his ouster by the County Assembly last week over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the special sitting, will start at 10:00 a.m., to formally table the impeachment motion and determine the process the House will follow in handling the matter.

“The purpose of this special sitting is to hear the charges against Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan,” Kingi said in a gazette notice issued ahead of the session.

The Senate will decide whether to form an 11-member special committee to investigate the charges and report within 10 days, or to proceed with a full hearing in plenary, during which the governor will be required to personally appear or be represented by counsel. Speaker Kingi is expected to announce the preferred route later this afternoon.

Governor Hassan’s fate now rests with the Senate after 16 of 18 Isiolo County Assembly Members voted to remove him from office last Thursday, accusing him of stalling development, mismanaging county resources, and fostering an atmosphere of fear within his administration.

Sericho MCA Abubakar Godana, who sponsored the motion, cited the Governor’s alleged failure to meet local revenue targets despite Isiolo County receiving one of the lowest revenue allocations nationally. The Governor is also accused of ballooning the county’s executive with 36 advisors and 31 chief officers.

Additionally, the Assembly criticised Hassan’s issuance of two-year contracts to senior county staff — a move they say undermines job security and accountability — and his selective renewal of only five out of 20 expiring contracts, which they claim lacked transparency.

Governor Hassan, who has denied the charges, will be allowed to defend himself during the process.

Under the County Governments Act, if the Senate upholds any of the charges by a majority vote, the Governor will be removed from office immediately. If the charges are rejected, he will continue serving, and the County Assembly may only revisit the motion after three months.

Monday’s developments echo past high-profile impeachments, including those of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Kiambu’s Ferdinand Waititu, both of whom were removed after Senate proceedings upheld charges against them.