Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo impeached

Isiolo County Assembly has impeached Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and violation of various laws and the Constitution.

Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) passed the motion to oust the embattled governor with 16 out of 18 present voting in favour of the impeachment motion, two abstaining, and no member opposing the motion.

The Governor, despite being formally invited to defend himself, failed to appear before the Assembly, which proceeded with the motion per the Standing Orders and relevant laws.

The impeachment now shifts to the Senate for determination, as provided under Article 181 of the Constitution and Section 33 of the County Governments Act.

The county boss now stands suspended from office pending the Senate’s verdict.

The motion to remove Governor Guyo was first tabled by Sericho MCA Abubakar Godana on June 10, 2025, citing a litany of failures in leadership.

Among the accusations levelled against him were the stalling of key development projects, failure to meet revenue targets, and an inflated executive structure that included the appointment of 36 advisors and 31 chief officers, despite Isiolo County receiving the third-lowest revenue allocation in the country.

Guyo was also faulted for issuing short-term two-year contracts to chief officers, which the Assembly claims created an “environment of fear and uncertainty.”

The motion further alleged that the governor failed to renew the contracts of 20 chief officers, opting instead to selectively renew five through a questionable process.

The impeachment comes despite a court order barring the Assembly from proceeding with the motion.

On June 17, Justice Heston Nyaga of the High Court in Isiolo certified an application filed by the governor as urgent and ordered that the motion not be admitted, processed, debated or considered pending the hearing and determination of the case.

The governor had moved to court, accusing the Assembly and Speaker Mohamed Roba of violating due process, and sought access to the motion documents, which the court directed be furnished within 48 hours.

The Assembly, however, relocated proceedings from Isiolo to Nakuru and later to Machakos, amid reports of MCAs going into hiding ahead of the impeachment.

This political standoff follows weeks of tension within the county government, which also saw the controversial ouster of County Assembly Clerk Salad Boru Guracha.

Guracha had been suspended by the County Assembly Service Board for allegedly cancelling a public participation forum linked to the impeachment. The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri later reinstated him, pending the hearing of the matter.

Governor Guyo’s impeachment now awaits a full hearing before the Senate, which will determine whether the charges meet the threshold for his permanent removal from office.