Isiolo County Governor Abdi Guyo. /FILEIsiolo Governor Abdi Guyo has been handed reprieve after the High Court declared his impeachment by the county assembly null and void.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Heston Nyaga in Isiolo, also found county assembly speaker Mohamed Roba in contempt of court and ordered him to appear before it in person on Monday, June 30.
The judge affirmed that a conservatory order he issued on June 16—barring the county assembly from proceeding with the impeachment—remained legally binding and in force.
“Those orders shall remain in force until they are set aside or reviewed either by this court or another court or the Court of Appeal,” Justice Nyaga ruled.
Despite the order, 16 out of 18 members of the county assembly (MCAs) convened on Thursday and voted unanimously to impeach Guyo.
The governor, who was allegedly invited to respond to the allegations, denied receiving any formal communication from the assembly.
In response, the court cited speaker and Abubakar Abdi
Godana—the sponsor of the impeachment motion—for contempt.
Justice Nyaga ordered that the two appear in court to show cause why they should not be jailed for up to six months or fined at least Sh200,000.
“The 2nd respondent and contemnor having been cited for contempt of court are hereby ordered to appear in person, and/or with counsel of their choice to respond to the alleged contempt of the orders of this court on Monday, 30th June, 2025, at 9:00am,” the judge directed.
The court’s earlier conservatory order had explicitly restrained the county assembly from admitting, processing, debating, or considering the impeachment motion dated June 10, 2025, until Guyo’s legal challenge was heard and determined.
“I am satisfied that the applicant has made out a case that warrants the grant of the relief sought,” Justice Nyaga said at the time.
Nevertheless, the Assembly went ahead with what it termed a “momentous” session, defending its actions as legally justified and rooted in public accountability.
“His absence was duly noted, and the House proceeded with the matter in accordance with the Standing Orders and relevant legal provisions,” the Assembly said in a statement, asserting that extensive public engagement had taken place in all ten wards.
The MCAs’ decision was promptly communicated to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Friday, in a formal notification from Roba, indicating that the impeachment had been concluded at the county level.
