Mulembe Times | July 9, 2025
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo is fighting to save his political career by invoking a previous Senate ruling and a court order that declared his impeachment process unconstitutional. Facing serious charges of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and violation of the Constitution, Guyo’s defense hinges on both legal and procedural technicalities as he enters a two-day impeachment trial in the Senate.
The embattled first-term governor is drawing comparisons with the case of Kericho Governor Eric Mutai, whose impeachment was thrown out by the Senate in 2024 after it was established that the county assembly had failed to meet the constitutional two-thirds threshold required to pass an impeachment motion.
Guyo’s legal team has cited this precedent as a key argument in their preliminary objection to the ongoing proceedings. According to them, if the Senate upheld Mutai’s case on technical grounds, the same should apply to Guyo, given the similar constitutional and procedural breaches.
Adding to his defense is a court order that explicitly declared his impeachment “null and void.” The governor had moved to court prior to the Isiolo County Assembly’s debate, arguing that the process was marred by procedural irregularities and that he was denied a fair hearing. The court agreed, issuing a restraining order barring the assembly from debating or voting on the motion.
However, in defiance of the court’s directive, 16 out of 18 Members of County Assembly (MCAs) went ahead and voted to remove him from office.
“Once an act is declared null and void, it is of no legal consequence,” read part of the court’s ruling. “It is thus upon the Senate, once informed of the Orders herein, to determine whether it will proceed with the said resolution—thus abetting a blatant disregard of the rule of law—or respect the orders.”
Guyo’s legal team, led by former Law Society of Kenya president Eric Theuri and lawyer Elias Mutuma, is now using this ruling as ammunition to stop the Senate from validating what they term an illegal action by the county assembly.
The defense has also invoked historical precedents involving former governors Martin Wambora (Embu) and Mohamed Abdi (Wajir), both of whom successfully challenged their removals in court or Senate.
The impeachment trial will be conducted by the full Senate plenary, after senators rejected a motion to appoint a special 11-member committee to investigate the charges. This means that all 67 senators will take part in hearing the matter, but only the 47 elected county senators are allowed to vote on the final decision.
For the impeachment to succeed, at least 24 county delegations must support any of the charges brought against the governor.
Guyo is expected to appear before the Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday, with cross-examination and re-examination of witnesses by legal teams and senators scheduled depending on whether the preliminary objection is upheld.
His witness list includes senior county officials and MCAs, such as County Clerk Salad Guracha, Chief Finance Officer Habib Jirma, and MCAs Abdinoor Jillo (Kinna) and Diba Abdirashid Ali (Garbatulla). Others include AP officer Shaban Mzungu and Mohamed Yarow.
Meanwhile, the Isiolo County Assembly is represented by a robust legal team comprising Paul Nyamodi, Ekuru Aukot, and several other prominent advocates. Their witnesses include MCAs who were directly involved in the impeachment process and will rely on affidavits and supporting documentation submitted to the Senate.
Should the Senate dismiss the preliminary objection, the full trial will proceed. If the governor is found guilty and a simple majority votes to uphold the charges, he will be removed from office. However, Guyo retains the right to appeal the Senate’s decision in court.
If the Senate rejects the charges, Speaker Amason Kingi will formally notify the Isiolo County Assembly, effectively reinstating the governor and invalidating the impeachment effort.
As proceedings begin, the political stakes are high—not just for Guyo, but for county governance and the legal boundaries of impeachment under Kenya’s devolved system.
