NAIROBI, Kenya – Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo is set to defend himself before the Senate today as the House begins a two-day plenary impeachment hearing, following his ouster by the Isiolo County Assembly over allegations of abuse of office, gross misconduct, and constitutional violations.
The Senate chose a full plenary trial rather than a special committee to investigate the charges, marking the third gubernatorial impeachment trial under the current Parliament.
Impeachment Trial of Governor Guyo Kicks Off in Senate
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi gazetted July 8 and 9 as official sitting days to deliberate on the resolution passed by the Isiolo County Assembly, in which 16 out of 18 MCAs voted to remove Governor Guyo from office last month.
The impeachment proceedings began at 9 a.m. with a closed-door session for senators, followed by formal sessions starting at 10 a.m., including the reading of charges and preliminary objections.
Senate Hearing Schedule for Guyo’s Impeachment Trial
According to the Senate’s Order Paper, the structured programme includes:
- 10:00 a.m. – Opening procedures, introduction of legal teams
- 11:00 a.m. – Reading of impeachment charges
- 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Preliminary objections
- 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Opening statements by both legal teams
- 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Presentation of evidence, cross-examinations
The Isiolo County Assembly has been allocated three hours to present its case and conduct re-examinations, while Governor Guyo’s legal team has two hours to cross-examine witnesses.
If the governor’s preliminary objections are dismissed, the trial will continue on Wednesday, culminating in a Senate vote.
Governor Guyo has assembled a high-profile legal team, including Elisha Ongoya (constitutional law expert), Eric Theuri (former LSK president), Elias Mutuma, Tali Israel Tali, Marcelino Lesaigor, Miriam Rebecca Abong, and others
His list of witnesses features:
- Salad Boru Guracha – Clerk of the County Assembly
- Habiba Galgalo Jirma – County CFO
- MCAs Abdinoor Dima Jillo and Diba Abdirashid Ali
- Shaban Mzungu – Administration Police Officer
In response, the County Assembly has enlisted a 14-member legal team led by Paul Nyamodi, Ekuru Aukot, and Boniface Mawira, supported by legal assistants and experienced litigators.
Their witnesses include several MCAs including Abubakar Abdi Godana, Lemantile David, Nicholas Lorot, Peter Loyan, Anab Kasim, and Abdirahman Mohamed Ibrahim
According to Mawira, the Assembly’s case relies on sworn affidavits and documents supporting the impeachment motion.
How the Senate Will Vote on Guyo’s Impeachment
While all 67 senators will participate in the trial, only the 47 elected senators, each representing a county, will vote on whether to uphold the impeachment charges.
Governor Guyo will be removed from office if at least 24 county delegations vote in favour of even one of the charges.
If the motion is defeated, the Senate Speaker will notify the Isiolo County Assembly of the outcome.
Regardless of the result, Governor Guyo retains the right to challenge the Senate’s decision in court.
This marks the seventh impeachment hearing in the 13th Parliament and the third involving a county governor.
The Senate has previously handled five impeachment trials via plenary and two through special committees—one of which involved a Deputy President.
