Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo has issued a dire warning over rising insecurity and political tension in the county following the Senate’s decision to halt impeachment proceedings against Governor Abdi Guyo.

The senator said her life, as well as the safety of Isiolo’s County Assembly, was now in jeopardy, blaming the outcome on a compromised process and ignored threats on the ground.

Speaking during Tuesday’s Senate session, Dullo strongly criticised the dismissal of the impeachment motion at the preliminary stage, accusing the Senate of denying the people of Isiolo a fair hearing on the serious accusations brought against the governor.

“If only this House had allowed the proceedings to continue to the end, you would have understood the seriousness and gravity of this impeachment,” she said.

Dullo said the Senate’s action had weakened not just Isiolo’s County Assembly, but also legislative institutions across the country by discouraging any future impeachment efforts.

“But as things stand today, I don’t believe this Assembly will have the courage to bring any motion to this House again, not just in Isiolo, but across the entire country,” she added.

She claimed that the Assembly members had endured life-threatening conditions as they attempted to carry out their mandate, with threats of violence looming over their sittings.

“I wish those who are speaking negatively about the Assembly understood what members have gone through. Some have even lost their lives in these circumstances,” she told the Senate.

Dullo defended the legitimacy of the sitting that initiated the impeachment motion, responding to arguments that no valid meeting had taken place.

“There are claims that the sitting did not take place, but the truth is, the conditions under which this Assembly convened were extremely difficult, members were nearly losing their lives,” she said.

In an emotional speech, the senator said she was being closely monitored by individuals opposed to her, and warned that chaos was likely to erupt in Isiolo following the Senate’s decision.

“I can see the very people who constantly fight me on social media seated here, watching. By tonight, the chaos that will erupt in Isiolo County will be clear for everyone to see,” she stated.

“Isiolo is bleeding today. It is not safe. The Assembly is not safe after today. I am not safe after today. And the people of Isiolo will not be safe after today.”

She further alleged that state institutions had been used to frustrate the impeachment process, including irregularities in the gazettement of Assembly officials and interference by security personnel.

“The Government Printer, a very sensitive department of this country, gazetted a Speaker who was elected by only two members of the Assembly,” she said.

“There was a commander of the Administration Police who was brought here to produce evidence in favour of the Governor. Does he sit in the House? What is his role? Security, as far as that proceeding was concerned, was compromised.”

Dullo also spoke of an assault on a young blogger in Isiolo who was now in the intensive care unit, linking the incident to political violence connected to the impeachment.

“There was a young man who was beaten two days ago in Isiolo. He is fighting for his life in ICU, just because he is a blogger. In this impeachment, people have been injured and maimed,” she said.

She warned that the Senate’s handling of the matter would only encourage impunity if left unaddressed.

“Somebody standing here and saying ‘go and bring another motion’; let me say this clearly: if the Senate chooses to take the action of killing the Presiding Officer, you will have thrown Isiolo to the dogs, throwing the Assembly to the dogs. And if anything happens tomorrow, this House will be blamed,” she warned.

In response, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the issues raised were serious and required immediate action by security authorities.

He directed the Office of the Clerk to extract Dullo’s remarks from the Hansard and formally notify the Inspector General of Police and the Isiolo County Commissioner.

“The security of all persons is not a matter to be taken lightly. The security of the Senator, similarly, must be assured. I, therefore, direct that the extract of the Hansard in relation to the concerns expressed by Senator Dullo be obtained by the Office of the Clerk of the Senate and be addressed in a letter to the Inspector General of Police as well as the County Commissioner of Isiolo County for the information and necessary action,” Kingi ruled.

The Senate terminated the impeachment process against Governor Guyo after adopting preliminary objections raised by his legal team. The defence cited procedural errors and a court order barring the County Assembly from continuing with the process.

Thirty-one senators voted in favour of the objection, while 12 opposed. There were no abstentions.

“This motion having been passed, the impeachment proceedings in the matter of the proposed removal from office of the Governor of Isiolo County have forthwith terminated,” said Kingi.

He urged the governor not to view the decision as a triumph but as a chance to unite the county.

“Now to the governor, let me offer you unsolicited advice. This is not a win, and therefore the Senate does not expect you to go out there chest-thumping,” he cautioned.

“This is a postponement of your case… depending on how you’re going to carry yourself from today going forward, that case may never be heard. Similarly, depending on how you behave out there, your case may be back here in a matter of days. It’s up to you.”

Kingi advised the governor to make peace with the Senator and the County Assembly, even if it meant involving neutral parties to mediate.