The Isiolo County Assembly Speaker, Mohamed Roba, has been arrested as the drama surrounding the leadership in the county threatens to get messier.
Roba was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, June 24 at a hotel in Machakos and was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices in the same county.
According to reports, several Members of the County Assembly allied to Roba presented themselves to the DCI officers on Tuesday in support of the speaker. The MCAs are believed to have been staying with the speaker at the hotel prior to his arrest.
While the reasons behind Roba’s detention are yet to be made public, the Speaker predicted his woes on Monday night through a Facebook post suggesting authorities were on his radar.
The Speaker also appeared to blame a senior officer in the DCI for his predicament through his post, stating, “The DCI boss has sent his officers to disarm me. If anything happens to me, he and his friend are to blame.”
Roba further alleged that his arrest was a personal vendetta dating back to the time he worked as former DCI boss George Kinoti’s personal assistant.
“You blamed me for some reasons, but I will not be intimidated by such cheap theatrics. I am made of steel, and you shall be ashamed," Roba added.
At the DCI offices, the speaker recorded a statement under the supervision of DCI officer Nzioka Singi before being released on police bail of Ksh.100,000. Roba is expected to present himself at the DCI offices again as investigations continue.
Notably, Roba has been at the heart of an impeachment motion against Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo. The impeachment motion was backed by 16 out of 18 MCAs, who have since complained about their safety.
In the midst of the impeachment motion, reports emerged that Roba had resigned from his position—something the Speaker denied on Wednesday, June 18. In the statement, Roba said the claims are fake, have no legal basis, and are only intended to confuse the public.
Roba, in his Facebook post on Monday night, also alleged that his arrest was a calculated scheme to derail the impeachment motion against Governor Guyo. The motion was expected to take centre stage during assembly proceedings on Thursday, June 26.
The Isiolo County Assembly has been marred by a wave of uncertainty, with tensions boiling over during the latest session, which was infiltrated by goons. As MCAs made their way to the County Assembly to conduct their day's business, proceedings were disrupted when a large group of unidentified individuals, some bearing weapons, were spotted attempting to gain access to the chamber.
Inside the County Assembly, MCAs present were left in a panic, with some accusing Governor Abdi Guyo of hiring goons to intimidate them and halt proceedings.
The drama unfolded just a day after a planned public participation on the proposed impeachment of Governor Guyo was cancelled. The cancellation followed a High Court conservatory order halting a planned impeachment by Members of the County Assembly.
