Court temporarily halts removal of gazetted Isiolo speaker Jaldesa Banticha

The High Court on Tuesday issued a conservatory order temporarily halting the removal of Jaldesa, who was recently gazetted as Speaker.

The ruling comes amid deepening political infighting and a power struggle that has crippled operations within the devolved unit.

Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued the orders on Tuesday.

Lady Justice Wasilwa barred any attempts to degazette or remove Jaldesa from office pending the hearing and determination of a petition he filed.

“In the interim, no action be taken removing or degazetting the applicant as the Speaker of the Respondent,” the judge ruled, emphasizing the need to preserve the status quo until the matter is fully heard.

The Speaker moved to court seeking protection after the assembly clerk, Salad Guracha, revoked his recent appointment in a gazette notice published on Monday.

Jaldesa had moved to court seeking “protection of his constitutional rights and to forestall an imminent unlawful and arbitrary removal from office, contrary to the principles of constitutionalism, fair administrative action and the rule of law.”

He told the court that he had learnt of a scheme to arbitrarily remove him from office

“This is through a letter dated 9th July 2025, addressed to the 1st Respondent, seeking to unlawfully compel the Government Press to revoke the Petitioner’s Gazettement as the Speaker and effectively remove the Petitioner from office without following due process. There is no resolution of the County Assembly to remove the Petitioner from office as mandated by section 11 of the County Governments Act,” Jaldesa submitted.

In his petition, Jaldesa named the Government Press and the State Law Office as respondents.

Justice Wasilwa certified the petition as urgent and directed that it be served on all respondents ahead of an inter partes hearing scheduled for July 17, 2025.

The recent court directions follow a myriad of conflicts in the County Assembly, which began when an impeachment motion against Governor Abdi Guyo was filed at the Assembly in June 2025.

Besides the push and pull in the Speaker seat, the Assembly Clerk position is also contested as incumbent Salad Boru Guracha had been sacked by Speaker Roba. A Nyeri court on June 19 reinstated Boru, after his abrupt removal from office by the County Assembly Service Board.

Guracha argued that due process was not followed, claiming he was unilaterally suspended by the Speaker.

On the other hand, Governor Abdi Guyo survived an impeachment at the Senate on July 8, 2025.

While presenting his statement in the House, Governor Guyo raised objections on whether the Isiolo County Assembly held sittings on June 18 and 26 to debate and pass the motion for his ouster.

By a vote of 31 to 12, Senators upheld the objection, granting Guyo a lifeline to remain in office.