Isiolo is bleeding: Senator Fatuma Dullo warns after Governor Abdi Guyo’s impeachment dismissal

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has directed the Office of the Clerk to officially document and forward Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo’s security concerns to the police after she raised alarm over escalating threats to her safety and that of the County Assembly following the dismissal of Governor Abdi Guyo’s impeachment motion.

Speaking during the impeachment proceedings on Tuesday, Dullo painted a grim picture of the situation in Isiolo, warning that tensions were boiling over and could erupt into violence.

She condemned the Senate’s decision to terminate the impeachment process at the preliminary stage, arguing that it robbed the public of a fair and transparent hearing of the charges against the governor.

“If only this House had allowed the proceedings to continue to the end, you would have understood the seriousness and gravity of this impeachment,” she said.

“But as things stand today, Mr Speaker, I don’t believe this Assembly will have the courage to bring any motion to this House again, not just in Isiolo, but across the entire country.”

Dullo lamented that the County Assembly faced extreme threats, including violence, in the run-up to the impeachment motion. She warned that the process had unfolded under dangerous conditions that put the lives of MCAs at risk.

“I wish those who are speaking negatively about the Assembly understood what members have gone through. Some have even lost their lives in these circumstances,” she told the Senate.

Responding to claims that no valid sitting was held to initiate Governor Guyo’s impeachment, Dullo defended the Assembly, saying members braved near-death conditions to conduct their business.

“There are claims that the sitting did not take place, but the truth is, the conditions under which this Assembly convened were extremely difficult, members were nearly losing their lives,” she said.

The visibly emotional senator said she was being targeted and claimed her attackers were closely monitoring her every move.

“I can see the very people who constantly fight me on social media seated here, watching. By tonight, the chaos that will erupt in Isiolo County will be clear for everyone to see,” Dullo said.

“Isiolo is bleeding today. It is not safe. The Assembly is not safe after today. I am not safe after today. And the people of Isiolo will not be safe after today.

Dullo further alleged that government institutions had been compromised and manipulated to frustrate the impeachment process.

“The Government Printer, a very sensitive department of this country, gazetted a Speaker who was elected by only two members of the Assembly,” Dullo said.

“There was a commander of the Administration Police who was brought here to produce evidence in favour of the Governor. Does he sit in the House? What is his role? Security, as far as that proceeding was concerned, was compromised.”

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She also raised concern about a recent attack on a young blogger in Isiolo who she said is now in the ICU, linking it to the political standoff.

“There was a young man who was beaten two days ago in Isiolo. He is fighting for his life in ICU, just because he is a blogger. In this impeachment, people have been injured and maimed,” she said.

She warned that failure to address the irregularities in the Senate’s handling of the impeachment would embolden impunity.

“Somebody standing here and saying ‘go and bring another motion’; let me say this clearly: if the Senate chooses to take the action of killing the Presiding Officer, you will have thrown Isiolo to the dogs, throwing the Assembly to the dogs. And if anything happens tomorrow, this House will be blamed,” Dullo warned.

In response, Speaker Kingi directed that her statement be extracted from the Hansard and shared with security authorities. The Speaker indicated that the concerns raised by Dullo regarding threats to her life and the safety of the Isiolo County Assembly were serious and required immediate attention from the national security apparatus.

“The security of all persons is not a matter to be taken lightly. The security of the Senator, similarly, must be assured. I, therefore, direct that the extract of the Hansard in relation to the concerns expressed by Senator Dullo be obtained by the Office of the Clerk of the Senate and be addressed in a letter to the Inspector General of Police as well as the County Commissioner of Isiolo County for the information and necessary action,” Kingi ruled.

The Senate dismissed the impeachment motion against Governor Guyo after upholding preliminary objections raised by his legal team. The objections cited procedural flaws and an active court order restraining the County Assembly from proceeding with the matter.

Thirty-one senators voted to uphold the objection, while 12 opposed it. None abstained.

“This motion having been passed, the impeachment proceedings in the matter of the proposed removal from office of the Governor of Isiolo County have forthwith terminated,” Kingi said.

However, he warned the governor not to treat the outcome as a victory but as a chance to mend political divisions in the county.

“Now to the governor, let me offer you unsolicited advice. This is not a win, and therefore the Senate does not expect you to go out there chest-thumping,” Kingi said.

“This is a postponement of your case… depending on how you’re going to carry yourself from today going forward, that case may never be heard. Similarly, depending on how you behave out there, your case may be back here in a matter of days. It’s up to you.”

He urged Guyo to seek reconciliation with both the Dullo and the County Assembly, even through third-party mediators.