---

By The Anchor Team
Isiolo/Machakos | Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Tensions remain high in Isiolo County as Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) grapple with a deepening political crisis which boiled in Machakos today.

At the centre of the row is  the planned impeachment of Governor Abdi Guyo. The situation escalated dramatically after Speaker Mohamed Roba was whisked away from a hideout in Machakos—where he had been meeting with a faction of MCAs—by individuals alleged to be officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Roba, who has been under pressure from pro-Guyo forces, had retreated to Machakos in what sources say was a strategic move to convene neutral ground consultations with MCAs sympathetic to the impeachment motion.

But the sudden security swoop scuttled the plan and left behind a shaken group of MCAs, many of whom were left stranded and furious.

The Isiolo County Assembly comprises 20 elected MCAs and 8 nominated members, giving it a total of 28. Of these, 17 MCAs are believed to support the impeachment motion, a number that easily crosses the constitutional threshold for initiating the process.

However, the pro-Guyo faction, working in tandem with a segment of the Executive, has been accused of deploying threats, financial inducements, and now — covert security operations — to cripple the Assembly’s independence.

MCAs accuse the Governor of gross misconduct, including the misuse of county funds, autocratic decision-making, and undermining devolution through coercive tactics.

But while Isiolo burns with uncertainty, the mood in Machakos, where Speaker Roba had briefly taken refuge, could not be more different.

On the same day Roba was spirited away, the Machakos County Assembly held a peaceful and decisive plenary session, unanimously passing the Second Supplementary Budget for the 2024/2025 financial year.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson, Dominic Ndambuki (MCA, Kathiani Central Ward), tabled the estimates along with the Machakos County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2025 — both approved without dissent.

Presiding over the session, Speaker Ann Kiusya praised the Assembly’s diligence:

“I commend Members of the County Assembly for their commitment and diligence. This important step ensures continued alignment of our County’s priorities with emerging needs and supports effective service delivery.”

The tone of stability in Machakos was not always the case. Just weeks ago, the Assembly was torn apart by internal strife after Kiusya suspended nine MCAs for gross disorder, including attempts to disrupt House proceedings.

The nine, including Majority Leader Nicholas Kitavi and Deputy Speaker Stephen Mwanthi, secured temporary relief from the High Court. But the court issued a stern warning: any further misconduct would invite serious legal consequences.

Since then, a palpable calm has returned to the Machakos Assembly — a fragile but welcome peace credited to judicial firmness and internal restraint. All members, including those previously suspended, sat through the session that passed the supplementary budget without incident.

In stark contrast, Isiolo remains a theatre of political brinkmanship and institutional paralysis.

What began as a constitutional process of accountability is fast unraveling into a tug-of-war involving shadowy forces, broken trust, and now — allegations of state interference.

Governor Guyo, while publicly dismissing the impeachment motion as “malicious drama,” has not explained the role of national security officers in what is essentially a legislative standoff. His critics insist that if the impeachment motion is defeated, it must happen lawfully and procedurally — not by dismantling the Assembly or intimidating its leadership into silence.

As devolution matures, the unfolding Isiolo drama and the Machakos experience paint a stark portrait of two struggling counties — one holding onto  fragile order, the other sliding into institutional chaos.

---