The political landscape in Isiolo County has taken a dramatic turn. Deputy Speaker David Lemantile has officially flagged five members of the County Assembly for unauthorized absence from more than eight consecutive sittings. This move directly invokes Article 194(1)(b) of the Kenyan Constitution, a provision that places their electoral seats at serious risk.
The five MCAs named are Abubakar Abdi from Sericho Ward, Halima Gole Abgudo from Cherab Ward, Meja Abdullahi from Chari Ward, Kamila Warsame (Special Elect), and Dekha Bonja (Special Elect). These are not random absentees. They are known allies of the embattled former Speaker Mohamed Roba Qoto. Their troubles began shortly after the failed impeachment of Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan, popularly known as Governor Guyo.
Under standing orders, the affected MCAs now have fourteen days to respond through the relevant assembly committee. Failure to provide a compelling defence could lead to their seats being declared vacant. But the real intrigue lies in the two special elective members on the list: Dekha Bonja and Kamila Warsame. Unlike ward representatives, special elect seats are not filled by voters. If these two lose their positions, the controlling faction in the assembly gets to pick their replacements. In essence, the same people who set the trap will decide what grows in it. That is not just political strategy. It is total control.
Whether the assembly pushes this process to its conclusion depends entirely on political will. If the leadership is determined, these five MCAs are in deep trouble. If the move is meant purely as leverage to force a settlement or weaken the opposition psychologically, the matter may quietly stall. Either way, the former Speaker’s allies have been outmaneuvered. And in political warfare, naivety carries a heavy price.
These MCAs believed that loyalty to a losing cause would keep them relevant. Instead, it made them targets. The moment the impeachment failed, they stopped being useful allies. They became loose ends to be managed. That is how political chess works. They were pieces, not players. Their mistake was mistaking proximity to power for power itself.
The former Speaker’s faction is now being dismantled on three fronts simultaneously. Judicially, a court barring order limits their moves. Administratively, the Clerk’s machinery is working against them. And constitutionally, the absenteeism process is tightening the noose. Loyalty to a sinking ship is not principle. It is poor judgment.
For the people of Isiolo, this saga reveals how county assemblies can use constitutional tools not just for discipline, but for political elimination. The coming days will show whether this is justice or a settlement dressed in rulebooks. One thing is clear: the trap was laid carefully, and five politicians walked right into it.
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