Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo and Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo.
The political war between Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and Senator Fatuma Dullo has escalated with the latter now alleging a plot to assassinate her.
The two leaders have been at loggerheads over the running of the county government despite being elected on the Jubilee Party ticket in the 2022 elections.
Senator Dullo has taken the governor to task over the running of the county, making numerous statements to this effect in the Senate.
From questions about alleged irregular recruitments, the sorry state of the health function to the expenditure of county funds and the status of pending bills.
However, Governor Guyo has always denied the allegations, accusing the senator of a political witch hunt.
Nonetheless, the latest development has added a new twist to the political battle, with Ms Dullo reporting threats to her life.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the lawmaker said a meeting was held on October 30, 2024, attended by 10 county government employees, where discussions centred on planning an attempt on her life.
The senator said she has since reported the threats to her life to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
“This conversation allegedly included plans for my assassination, posing a very real and serious threat to my life. I am, therefore, deeply concerned for my well-being,” said Ms Dullo.
“I would like to state categorically that should anything happen to me, my family, my employees or my supporters, the county government of Isiolo must be held accountable.”
She added that her county office was recently broken into and items stolen under suspicious circumstances.
In addition, the legislator claimed that her staff and supporters have also been subjected to constant harassment, including confrontation by hired thugs and repeated summons by security agencies in Isiolo to intimidate and discourage them from supporting her work.
The third term senator revealed that she has credible information of plans to prevent her from accessing the county.
“These acts not only undermine my work but raises questions about the lengths certain individuals are willing to go to hinder my office operations,” said Ms Dullo.
When contacted for comment, Governor Guyo said: "Let her (Dullo) report to the DCI to investigate instead of using the floor of the House to propagate lies."
Migori Senator Eddy Oketch called on his colleagues to suspend the activities of the House because one of them was being threatened for exercising her oversight role.
He argued that if a senator is being threatened by a governor, then the entire house is under threat.
“The threat that has been channelled towards the Senator of Isiolo is something that we must all speak to. Today, the county assemblies have all closed across the country for 14 days until the missing Member of the County Assemblies (MCAs) is produced,” said Mr Oketch.
“What is happening in Isiolo County is long overdue for us to bring the governor of Isiolo County to this House and question him on why he is a hindrance to devolution when senators are fighting to protect devolution.”
In her latest statement before the House, Senator Dullo wants the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget to investigate alleged misappropriation of funds in the county government.
She said that the probe should focus on allegations of discrepancies in the remuneration of the staffers and presence of ghost workers in the payroll.
The investigations should look into the county’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD) and provide the list of staff, both permanent and casual, as captured in the IPPD system, indicating their terms of engagement, including when they were recruited and when their details were recorded in the system.
“The committee should provide detailed information to ascertain the circumstances under which the County Executive continues to pay salaries using manual processes instead of the recognised, verified IPPD system, hence misappropriating funds,” she said.
On the issue of bursaries, Ms Dullo wants the Education Committee to investigate their allocation and look into the criteria used to select and qualify applications, including how the county prioritises applicants and ensures a transparent and fair process.
The committee, chaired by Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, should further delve into the details of the total bursary funds allocated by the county government for the 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years, as well as a list of beneficiaries during the three fiscal years.
“The committee should explain the criteria used to allocate bursaries and whether the county government has a mechanism in place to ensure that the children from poor backgrounds benefit from the same and also provide how bursaries are allocated from grassroots up to the county level,” she said.
