A fresh wave of confusion has hit Isiolo County after the Senate scheduled a special sitting to hear the impeachment charges against Governor Abdi Guyo, despite a High Court ruling that declared the process illegal and void.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the sitting will take place on Monday, June 30, after receiving official communication from the Isiolo County Assembly.

The letter, dated June 26, stated that 16 out of 18 MCAs voted to remove the governor, while two were absent. No vote was recorded against the motion.

“I have appointed Monday, June 30, 2025, as a day for a special sitting of the Senate. The sitting shall be held in the Senate Chamber, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, commencing at 10.00 am,” Kingi said.

The County Assembly claims the process was conducted legally, with public participation in all ten wards, and added that Governor Guyo had been invited to respond to the allegations but failed to appear. “The House proceeded with the matter in accordance with Standing Orders and relevant legal provisions after the governor failed to appear,” read part of the Assembly’s statement.

But at the same time, the High Court onf Friday ruled that the impeachment had no legal effect, citing active court orders that were ignored by the Assembly.

Justice Heston Nyaga ruled that orders issued on June 25 barring the Assembly from proceeding with the motion were still valid and had not been lifted. “The orders of June 25 were not set aside or stayed; they remain in force,” he said.

The judge declared the impeachment null and void and found the County Assembly in contempt for wilfully disobeying the court orders.

“Defying court orders strikes at the very core of the rule of law,” Justice Nyaga said, adding that no appeal would be allowed unless the respondent appears before the court in person.

The court had earlier issued temporary conservatory orders following a petition by Abdi Ibrahim. The petition challenged the legality of the planned impeachment and was certified as urgent. Justice Nyaga barred the Assembly and its Speaker from processing or debating the Notice of Motion dated June 10.

He also ordered one of the respondents, whose name was not disclosed, to provide the petitioner with a copy of the Notice of Motion and all related documents within 48 hours. The respondents were given seven days to file their responses, while the petitioner was allowed three days to file a supplementary affidavit if necessary.

As the legal battle unfolds, the Assembly’s own leadership has issued conflicting statements. While one side claimed the motion had passed and been forwarded to the Senate, County Assembly Clerk Salad Boru firmly denied that any such sitting took place.

“No sitting was convened or facilitated by the Office of the Clerk to discuss or conduct any impeachment proceedings against the Governor,” Boru said.

He insisted that his office had issued no official notices, order papers or instructions related to the process. “The County Assembly is fully committed to upholding the rule of law and will not act in violation of any court order,” he added.

Boru also pointed out that he remains the lawful Clerk of the Assembly after a court suspended his removal. “Anyone purporting to act as Clerk has no legal mandate to facilitate or preside over any business of the Assembly,” he said.

Governor Guyo expressed shock over the impeachment claims.

“I am shocked. They have never invited me to explain anything. We have a court order which has not been vacated or challenged,” he said.