Isiolo Governor Abdi Hassan Guyo has survived an impeachment attempt after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to reject the motion brought against him by the Isiolo County Assembly, citing procedural irregularities.
In a vote held late Tuesday, 31 senators voted against the motion, with only 11 in support, effectively nullifying the Assembly’s move to impeach the governor. The Senate determined that the Isiolo County Assembly did not properly convene sittings to consider and pass the impeachment motion, rendering the entire process constitutionally invalid.
This outcome marks a significant political victory for Governor Guyo, who now retains his position and avoids joining the short list of governors impeached since the advent of devolution in 2013.
Earlier in the day, Governor Guyo had appeared before the Senate plenary, where he categorically denied all three charges levelled against him. The charges included: gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.
The impeachment motion, passed by the County Assembly last week, alleged that Governor Guyo failed to deliver the State of the County Address for three consecutive years. He was also accused of bloating the county’s wage bill by hiring 36 advisors, 31 Chief Officers, and two Deputy County Secretaries — despite the county only having six departments. Further accusations included bypassing the County Public Service Board in creating new offices, failing to account for Ksh 30 million in bursary funds, and ignoring public debt resolutions that allegedly led to an unsustainable fiscal situation.
In addition, he was accused of appointing staff outside the limits set by oversight bodies, and of making sexist and divisive remarks, including against Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo. The Assembly also claimed that Governor Guyo had been absent from the county, running affairs remotely from Nairobi, to the detriment of service delivery.
Before the proceedings moved into substantive hearings, Speaker of the Senate Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi guided the House on how the session would proceed.
Governor Guyo’s legal counsel, led by Mr. Elisha Ongoya, raised two key preliminary objections: first, that the impeachment motion was invalid due to a court ruling; and second, that the Isiolo County Assembly had not lawfully convened sittings to pass the motion. In response, the Assembly’s legal team, led by Mr. Paul Nyamodi, dismissed the objections, arguing for the supremacy of the legislature and urging the Senate to proceed with the hearing.
“The doctrine of separation of powers should shield these proceedings from court interference,” Nyamodi told the House.
However, after considering the submissions, the Senate upheld the preliminary objection, agreeing that the Assembly did not lawfully sit or vote on the motion — effectively collapsing the entire case.
Governor Guyo’s victory now sends a strong message on the need for procedural integrity in County Assemblies’ impeachment processes. It also highlights the Senate’s gatekeeping role in safeguarding devolution against politically motivated or improperly executed removals.
Speaking after the ruling, Governor Guyo said he was grateful to the Senate for protecting constitutionalism and promised to continue serving the people of Isiolo with diligence.
With this matter now concluded, attention will likely shift back to Isiolo, where political divisions may deepen following the Senate’s decision.
