Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo has survived an impeachment attempt after the Senate voted on Tuesday evening to dismiss the motion against him.
The decision followed hours of intense and emotional debate in the Senate chambers, marking the end of a drawn-out process that had captured national attention.
The Senate sitting kicked off with Speaker Amason Kingi temporarily suspending the House for 30 minutes. This break was meant to allow all Senators to receive a Supplementary Order Paper, giving them time to review the necessary documents and make a well-informed judgment.
At the centre of the impeachment row was uncertainty about whether the Isiolo County Assembly had lawfully convened on June 26 to impeach the Governor.
Initially, the County Assembly claimed that the session had taken place and the motion was passed. However, it failed to produce any Hansard records to prove that such a sitting occurred.
In a dramatic twist, the Assembly later acknowledged that although the meeting did happen, the Hansard recordings were destroyed during a chaotic and violent confrontation that erupted while the impeachment was being debated. This revelation raised serious questions about the validity of the impeachment process.
During the Senate’s heated debate, several senators expressed strong doubts about the credibility of the County Assembly’s actions.
They argued that the impeachment motion was poorly handled, lacked legal standing, and therefore had no basis to be considered or acted upon by the Senate. Some senators described the entire process as a sham that did not meet the required legal standards.
The charges against Governor Guyo, as presented by Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), included accusations of constitutional violations, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.
However, in his defence, the Governor dismissed the claims, stating that the MCAs had ignored conservatory orders that had been issued earlier by the High Court in Meru to halt the process.
Guyo also argued that the Assembly’s proceedings leading to the impeachment were marred by serious irregularities and legal loopholes, which made the entire process invalid from the start.
Rather than move forward with a full trial, the Senate chose to focus on preliminary legal objections raised by Governor Guyo’s legal team.
The lawyers argued that the impeachment process failed to comply with Article 181 of the Constitution and Section 33 of the County Governments Act. They said that the motion did not meet the required legal threshold and therefore urged the Senate to dismiss it on procedural grounds.
After considering the arguments, the Senate voted on the matter. Out of all Senators present, 31 voted in favour of dismissing the impeachment case, while 12 were in support of taking it to a full trial. No Senator chose to abstain from the vote.
The Senate’s decision means Governor Abdi Guyo will continue to serve as the head of Isiolo County. However, the proceedings left lingering doubts about the conduct of the Isiolo County Assembly.
Many questions remain about how the Assembly managed the impeachment and whether the process was manipulated or rushed without following due process.
This case has brought attention to the standards and legal procedures that County Assemblies must follow when attempting to remove a Governor from office.
While Governor Guyo has now been cleared to continue his duties, the events surrounding the impeachment attempt are likely to spark further political and legal scrutiny in Isiolo and beyond.
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