Isiolo Speaker Roba Koto arraigned over misuse of county vehicles and obstruction
The speaker, who has been entangled in a prolonged leadership wrangle in the Isiolo County Assembly, now finds himself at the center of criminal proceedings.
Isiolo County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Roba Koto was arraigned at the Mavoko Law Courts in Machakos County on Wednesday, following his dramatic arrest the previous night in Nairobi.
The speaker, who has been entangled in a prolonged leadership wrangle in the Isiolo County Assembly, now finds himself at the center of criminal proceedings initiated by the County Government of Isiolo.
Roba was taken into custody at around 9 pm along Thika Road in the Ruaraka area while en route from Isiolo to Nairobi.
After his arrest, he was detained overnight at Ruaraka Police Station before being transferred to Athi River Police Station.
His case was mentioned virtually from there, but proceedings were later postponed after his legal team insisted on an open court hearing.
According to a charge sheet endorsed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Roba is facing two criminal counts, with the Isiolo County Government listed as the main complainant.
The first charge accuses him of unlawful use of government property.
The documents allege that between July 18 and August 19, 2025, at Syokimau in Athi River East Sub-county, he unlawfully converted two Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles—registration numbers 11CG002A and 11CG068A—for his personal use. Both vehicles are property of the Isiolo County Government.
The second charge involves allegations of obstructing police officers from executing their official duties.
The charge sheet states that on July 20, 2025, also in Syokimau, Roba mobilised a group of individuals to prevent Chief Inspector Ali Sheikh Mohamed from repossessing one of the vehicles.
This is in violation of Section 103(1) of the National Police Service Act.
The ODPP gave the green light for Roba’s arrest and prosecution through a formal letter dated August 1, 2025. The letter was addressed to the Regional Criminal Investigations Officer (RCIO) based in Embu.
Several witnesses have been listed to testify in the case. These include Salad Boru Kuracha, Chief Inspector Mohamed Sheikh, Staff Sergeant Kitheka, Corporal Jason Simiyu, Chief Inspector David Mwaniki, and Police Constable Bernadette Mbithe.
This court appearance comes at a time when the Isiolo County Assembly is grappling with deep divisions over leadership, further complicating the political climate in the region.
