A section of Isiolo County Assembly members has firmly rejected claims that the county’s 2025/26 budget was passed fraudulently, saying the entire process followed legal and procedural guidelines.

Addressing the media in Nairobi on Wednesday, Speaker Abdullahi Banticha, Deputy Speaker David Lemantile, and several other MCAs described the allegations as politically motivated, aimed at disrupting governance and halting progress in the county.

The MCAs said the budget approval process was transparent and legitimate, and accused unnamed individuals of spreading falsehoods to create unnecessary tension and interfere with service delivery.

“I want to urge the people of Isiolo not to be misused. There is nothing as important as peace,” said Lemantile, who stressed the need for calm and lawful conduct as political instability continues to affect the region.

Tensions in Isiolo have recently escalated following a failed attempt to impeach Governor Abdi Guyo, sparking divisions and increasing public uncertainty.

“We don’t have any other county to run to. We will remain Isiolo people. Let everyone do their work. If something is not right, there is a legal channel to address it,” Lemantile added.

He said the Appropriation Bill for the 2025/26 financial year was submitted to the County Assembly in line with Section 222(1) of the Standing Orders and underwent thorough scrutiny before being approved. He maintained that the bill’s review focused on its potential to drive development, job creation, investment, and economic growth.

“The Isiolo County Executive is within the law to proceed with the implementation of the approved Appropriation Act, 2025, as gazetted,” Lemantile stated.

Budget Committee Vice Chairperson Rehema Abdikadir echoed the same position, saying the fraud allegations were baseless and intended to sow discord among the public.

“I want to assure the people of Isiolo that the 2025/26 budget passed through the proper legal processes. All steps were followed. Nothing was skipped. Everything was done by the law,” Rehema said.

She urged residents not to be swayed by propaganda aimed at paralysing the county’s operations.

“As the vice chair, I can confirm that we followed all due process. The executive submitted the estimates on time, and we went through the entire process diligently. The county must function and continue delivering to the people,” she added.

MCA Francinco Letimalo also supported the Assembly’s stance, clarifying that nine of the 18 MCAs voted to approve the budget, surpassing the legal quorum requirement of six members.

“Those saying this budget wasn’t passed are not being truthful. We had a quorum. While some were caught in political wrangles, we did our job,” said Letimalo.

He stressed that both the committee deliberations and the plenary session were conducted in accordance with the law.

“The process was fair, legal, and procedurally sound. We had the chairman, the vice chairperson, and the necessary quorum in place,” he added.

The legislators also dismissed speculation that there was an ongoing plan to remove County Assembly Clerk Salad Guracha.

“There is currently no resolution to remove Mr. Salad. Anyone purporting to have initiated such a process is acting contrary to the law,” said Lemantile.