NAIROBI, Kenya – Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo on Tuesday narrowly escaped impeachment after the Senate dismissed a case filed by the Isiolo County Assembly, citing procedural flaws and a court order that barred the process.
In a decisive vote, 31 elected senators voted to uphold preliminary objections raised by the governor’s legal team, effectively halting the impeachment proceedings before they could be heard on merit. Twelve senators opposed the motion, arguing the case deserved a full hearing.
Governor Guyo’s legal team argued that no valid impeachment had taken place at the county assembly and pointed to an existing court order suspending the process, which the Senate ultimately agreed had not been respected.
Senators who supported the objection insisted that while impeachment is a constitutional right of the county assemblies, the process must be carried out in strict accordance with the law.
“Justice must be served to all parties. In this case, we have the Isiolo County Assembly on one side and the governor on the other. The process and procedure must be followed,” said Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, himself a lawyer, emphasized the importance of upholding court rulings.
“It would be the darkest day for any lawyer if court orders are disobeyed,” he said, adding that the question of whether a valid sitting occurred on June 26 had already been litigated.
Other senators echoed the need to uphold the rule of law. Makueni’s Dan Maanzo and Vihiga’s Godfrey Osotsi said the Senate must not entertain impeachment efforts based on flawed or fictitious procedures.
“You cannot allow people to sit in a bar, present a motion to us, and this House sends away a governor who has been duly elected by the people. That will be setting a wrong precedent,” said Osotsi.
However, some lawmakers sharply disagreed with the dismissal. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) argued the Senate should have heard the case to its conclusion.
“There are serious issues that must be addressed. An impeachment process should not end at the preliminary objection level,” Cheruiyot said, adding that he would push for changes to Senate Standing Orders to prevent future cases from being thrown out prematurely.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale also voiced concern, saying impeachment should not be stifled by procedural technicalities when there are substantive issues to examine.
“Justice can only be achieved by examining the substance of the case. What we’re doing is killing the case before it even begins,” Roba said.
