The MCAs last Tuesday switched off their phones and retreated to a secret location immediately after the notice of motion was presented in a heavily guarded County Assembly session.
The Assembly has scheduled public participation forums for Wednesday across all 10 wards, while the debate on the motion is set for Friday. Residents have been asked to submit their views via email to the County Assembly Clerk.
Since tabling the motion, the MCAs have reportedly been playing hide-and-seek with individuals they claim are attempting to intimidate them into dropping the motion and have taken a weeklong retreat for their safety.
The political standoff took a new twist on Friday when 16 out of the 18 MCAs emerged to address the media, citing threats to their lives. Speaker Mohamed Roba pointed fingers at top county officials, blaming them for the threats and harassment.
Burat MCA Nicholas Lorot recounted how they were followed by suspicious vehicles from Nakuru to Machakos as they made their way to the hideout.
“We were trailed by armed individuals at 3 am until we reached our destination. One of our supporters was abducted, beaten and dumped in the bush. We shall not be intimidated from fulfilling our constitutional duty,” said Mr Lorot.
While all 18 MCAs had initially backed the impeachment motion, two are said to have switched allegiance to Governor Guyo’s side.
“This indicates the extent of criminality and poor leadership plaguing Isiolo. We condemn the rising political intolerance and call for sobriety among top leaders,” Speaker Roba said.
Ngaremara MCA Peter Losu added that they would be cautious when traveling back for the debate scheduled for Friday.
“We have recorded statements with the police and hope action will be taken. Regardless, we will perform our duties as per the law without fear or intimidation,” he affirmed.
While the MCAs are demanding enhanced security, a section of elders and residents has appealed for mediation as an alternative to impeachment. The elders blame the escalating political tensions on external forces and have offered to mediate the standoff between Governor Guyo and the Assembly members.
Secretary General of the Somali Council of Elders Idle Hassan expressed concern over heightened political tension in the county.
“The impeachment process should be the last resort. We urge the MCAs to embrace dialogue,” Mr. Hassan added.
The impeachment motion was moved by Garbatulla MCA Abubakar Godana, who has attached 15 supporting documents, including reports from the Auditor-General, County Assembly, Hansards, budgetary records and video footage of the governor’s public addresses.
Governor Guyo faces charges of abuse of office, gross misconduct and gross violation of the Constitution and other laws. Specifically, he is accused of contravening the County Governments Act, the Leadership and Integrity Act, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015) and the Public Finance Management Act (2012).
Among the key allegations is his failure to implement County Assembly resolutions, resulting in ballooning county debt, an ineffective County Treasury and massive loss of public funds.
“The governor has persistently made public pronouncements that threaten peaceful coexistence among communities in Isiolo County. This is in violation of the National Cohesion and Integration Act,” reads the motion.
On the abuse of office charge, the governor is accused of appointing 36 advisors and 31 chief officers despite Isiolo County receiving the third-lowest budget allocation in the country.
“This contradicts the principles of prudent resource use as outlined in the Public Finance Management Act. It is further contrary to a Salaries and Remuneration Commission circular, which limits the number of advisors to four indivuduals,” the motion states.
Governor Guyo is also under fire for issuing two-year contracts to chief officers, “creating an environment of fear and uncertainty’ and failing to renew the contracts of 20 chief officers and selectively renewing only five contracts through a questionable process.
Further, the governor is said to have used divisive and inappropriate language, undermining public trust in his office.
On the charge of gross misconduct, Mr Guyo has been accused of making disrespectful, demeaning and sexist remarks directed at Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo.
“The governor has violated Article 73 of the Constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act by consistently neglecting his professional duties. He has been largely absent from office and is allegedly running county affairs from Nairobi,” said MCA Godana.
