Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has formally gazetted three special sittings to hear the impeachment case against Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo, setting up a tense constitutional standoff as Parliament pushes ahead despite court orders halting the process.

The special sittings will take place on July 8, 9, and 10 in the Senate Chamber, with each session beginning at 9am. The sessions will be dedicated entirely to investigating the impeachment charges brought against Guyo by the Isiolo County Assembly—charges the governor has vigorously fought to block through the courts.

“The business to be transacted at the sittings shall be the investigation of the proposed removal from office by impeachment of Hon. Abdi Ibrahim Hassan, the Governor of Isiolo County,” reads the Gazette Notice No. 8732, published on Tuesday.

The decision comes after the High Court on June 26 declared the Isiolo County Assembly’s impeachment process null and void, citing a pending petition filed by Guyo. Justice Heston Nyaga also found Speaker Mohammed Roba in contempt and ordered him to appear in court on June 30. Guyo’s legal team has since filed contempt proceedings against both the Speaker and the Assembly Clerk.

Despite the court ruling, the Senate is moving forward, a move that has revived tensions between the judiciary and the legislature over their respective powers. The Senate’s decision follows internal debate on whether the matter should be handled by a select committee or by the full House.

On Monday, Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo declined to second a motion by Majority Whip Boni Khalwale that proposed an 11-member committee. This forced the Senate to adopt a plenary trial, ensuring that the proceedings will play out publicly in the chamber, with all senators participating.

Speaker Kingi has directed all parties involved to submit their responses by July 4, with the Senate Clerk expected to circulate all documents by July 7 ahead of the trial.

Governor Guyo is facing serious allegations, including failure to deliver the State of the County Address for three years, irregular hiring of staff, mismanagement of county finances, and abusive conduct. The charges detail how he allegedly hired 36 advisors, 31 chief officers, and two deputy county secretaries despite Isiolo having only six departments, bloating the wage bill beyond the legal limit.

He is also accused of appointing officers without involving the County Public Service Board, misusing Sh30 million in bursary funds, issuing irregular contracts, and undermining job security in the county. In addition, he faces claims of absentee leadership, reportedly running county operations remotely from Nairobi, and allegedly making sexist and ethnically divisive remarks, including comments targeting Senator Fatuma Dullo.

Guyo has denied all allegations, calling the impeachment a political witch-hunt. He insists the process is tainted and illegal, saying it is driven by “malice, mischief, and manipulation.”

The Senate’s decision to proceed despite an active court order has raised fresh questions over the boundaries of judicial power in parliamentary matters. Past rulings by legislative leaders have argued that court interference in House proceedings undermines parliamentary independence. Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi once declared, “Obeying such orders would be idiotic and unreasonable.”

The upcoming trial now places the Senate at the centre of a high-stakes constitutional moment, as the country watches how it balances legal rulings, political accountability, and institutional authority.