Isiolo tensions rise as Ruto meets delegation backing ousted speaker

Isiolo Women Rep Mumina Bonaya addresses hundreds of residents. [Bruno Mutunga, Standard]

A recent visit to State House by a group of elders allied to the degazetted Isiolo County Assembly Speaker, Mohamed Roba Qoto, has ignited a political firestorm in Isiolo.

Leaders allied to Governor Abdi Guyo have criticised the visit, accusing the delegation of prioritising personal political interests over the needs of Isiolo residents.

President William Ruto met the group on Wednesday, just weeks after the Senate dismissed an attempt to impeach Governor Guyo. The visit has further fuelled an ongoing dispute about the legitimacy of the Isiolo County Assembly Speaker.

A contested government gazette notice recently removed Speaker Mohamed Roba Qoto, appointing former Isiolo South MP Abdullahi Banticha Jaldesa as his replacement. The matter is currently before the courts.

Isiolo Woman Representative Mumina Bonaya criticised the visit, accusing the delegation of misleading the President. She argued that they were driven by political motives and failed to advocate for development initiatives during the meeting.

Bonaya emphasised that genuine engagement with the President should focus on securing development projects for the county.

Immediate former Isiolo South MP Abdi Koropu Tepo also criticised the group, claiming they falsely presented themselves as representatives of Isiolo's diverse communities, while in fact representing only one clan.

He dismissed claims that President Ruto had reinstated Qoto as Speaker, saying the President emphasised that the issue must be resolved in accordance with the law.

Abdullahi Banticha, who now occupies the disputed Speaker's seat, said the delegation that met the President did not reflect the voice or interests of the majority in Isiolo.

He accused former Woman Representative Rehema Dida Jaldesa of feeding the President misinformation and warned that her actions had previously caused political divisions in the region.

As tensions rise, the State House visit has become a major political test for President Ruto, who now faces pressure to navigate Isiolo's increasingly complex and divided local leadership landscape.

During the visit, women and youth groups were issued with tents, chairs, car-washing machines and cheques, all worth KShs. 2 million, from the Office of the Woman Representative's National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) kitty.

The county government also issued each women's group KShs. 50,000 to be used as seed capital for their Village Savings Associations, a programme that was initiated by the Office of the Woman Representative.