For a few moments, Mzee Mohamed Goshe stood in stunned silence—unable to speak or move. When he finally found his voice, he said: “We thank God. This is a miracle for us. We can now live like other Kenyans.”
Goshe is one of thousands of Modogashe residents in Isiolo county who have endured six decades without access to clean water. That struggle has now come to an end.
Governor Abdi Guyo’s administration has drilled a new borehole and rehabilitated an older one – bringing long-awaited relief to the community.
“We are very happy with the work the governor has done for us,” Goshe added.
“This borehole was drilled by the county government and we are truly grateful.”
The project, implemented in collaboration with development partners, has restored access to safe and reliable water.
“All that time we had no water,” Goshe said. “Today, we finally feel like other Kenyans.”
This new borehole is part of a broader initiative by the administration to tackle water scarcity. In March 2024, the governor launched three other boreholes in Akadeli, Daaba Juu and Kakili in Ngaremara ward to enhance domestic water supply.
After assuming office in 2023, the governor pledged to invest in modern technology to drill boreholes strategically across grazing reserves and local centres.
“We want to use modern technology to identify water depth, quality and quantity before drilling,” he said, adding that this would help avoid wasting public resources on unusable water sources.
He emphasised that access to water is vital for social and economic development and a key element in enabling communities to withstand climate change-related shocks like drought.
The unveiling of the Modogashe borehole came even as political tensions simmered in the county over an ongoing bid to impeach Guyo.
A group of elders representing the county's diverse communities publicly warned MCAs against proceeding with the impeachment motion.
They claimed the move was being pushed by external political forces seeking to destabilise the county.
During a press conference in Isiolo town, the elders urged the MCAs to return to their wards and engage in dialogue rather than deepening divisions.
They included: Sheikh Ibrahim Qabale – Namlef county chair; Abdulkadir Abdullahi – chair, Somali council of elders; Geoffrey Nabea – chair, Ameru Njuri Ncheke council of elders; and Sarah Muthoni – chair, minority communities in Isiolo.
They accused the MCAs of abandoning their responsibilities and families since tabling the impeachment notice over 10 days ago and deliberately switching off their phones to avoid efforts at reconciliation.
The impeachment motion accuses Guyo of violating the constitution, abuse of office and gross misconduct.
However, the High Court in Isiolo has issued a temporary order barring the county assembly from prosecuting the motion.
According to the elders, the impeachment effort did not originate from within the assembly, but was allegedly influenced by politicians from neighbouring counties seeking to settle personal political scores.
Former Ngaremara MCA and Turkana elder Ekwan Teru named some external figures he claimed were interfering in Isiolo politics, warning that such actions could destabilise the county.
“We cannot go back to the days when people feared leaving their homes, resorting to using buckets indoors out of fear of attacks,” he said, referring to past ethnic tensions.
The elders further called on those backing the impeachment to respect court orders and refrain from conducting a controversial public participation meeting scheduled for the next day, warning that it could trigger confrontation between rival factions.
