The Senate is set to commence a two-day marathon session to deliberate on embattled Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo’s impeachment case.  

This even as details emerged revealing deep-rooted regional supremacy battles and clans, amid reports of divisions among senators over the fate of the embattled county boss.   

As the Senate begins its deliberations, Governor Guyo’s political survival now rests in the hands of senators — and perhaps more significantly, in the tangled web of political and clan interests shaping Northern Kenya.  

The besieged Governor Guyo is facing three broad charges: gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.  

Investigations have now revealed an intense political struggle for control of the Northern region, with some key players viewing Guyo as an ‘outsider’ threatening to disrupt the traditional political order.

Guyo won his gubernatorial seat on former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party in the 2022 polls.   

However, President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) led by Mandera lawmaker Ali Roba, dominated the regional political scene.  

History maker 

Guyo, who started his political career in the densely populated Nairobi, was first elected as the Matopeni Ward rep under Jubilee and later became its Majority leader in the County Assembly.   

He made history as the first ward representative to rise to the governor’s office and as the only governor elected under the Jubilee Party banner in 2022.  

Although elected under the Jubilee Party, Guyo has broken ranks with his party and has since pledged allegiance to the UDA, actively supporting the President’s efforts to consolidate support in the region.  

A source who sought anonymity charged that Guyo’s predicament has stemmed from political supremacy in the region and that those in power have vowed to teach him a lesson.  

“The governor moved to UDA and is now one of its main champions in the region — but some leaders aren’t happy about that. This is all about political supremacy,” said a source.  

UDM has established a strong political footprint in the region, securing governorships in Marsabit and Mandera, as well as Senate seats in Wajir and Mandera.   

In addition, apart from political supremacy, clan affiliations have long shaped the political landscape in Isiolo and neighbouring counties.  

While Guyo is keen to defend his seat in the 2027 polls, should he survive the impeachment, area Senator Fatuma Dullo is reportedly eyeing the seat, setting the stage for a potentially fierce intra-clan rivalry.  

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has gazetted Tuesday and Wednesday for the impeachment proceedings.  Senators are sharply divided over the impeachment proceedings, with Guyo’s fate hanging in the balance.  

Guyo’s legal team is expected to raise the Assembly’s defiance of the court order as part of their preliminary objections before the main hearing begins.  

On Tuesday, the Senate clerk will read the charges, and the governor will be invited to plead guilty or not guilty. Following this, both sides may present preliminary objections.