Residents of Isiolo County on Monday took to the streets to protest the passage of a controversial Ksh7 billion budget, accusing local leaders of pushing it through despite their protests, claiming that it does not reflect the needs of the people.
The demonstrators, who marched through Isiolo’s Central Business District before heading to the County Assembly, decried what they termed deceit in the budget-making process and demanded accountability on how public funds would be used.
“This bill that was passed is full of deceit, and as the people of this county, we should not sit back and watch it happen. Ksh7 billion is not pocket change, and as MCAs, we will not accept this,” Ngaramara MCA Peter Losu told the crowd.
Residents voiced frustrations over poor service delivery, stalled projects, and an economy they described as stagnant and hostile to small businesses. Many cited a lack of bursaries and growing hardships in the livestock sector as evidence that the county’s spending priorities were misplaced.
Luke Mithika, one of the protestors, questioned the legitimacy of the budget, saying, “If they can pass a budget that does not concern us, then the assembly must be held accountable and should tell us where our money is going.”
The protests come just months after Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo survived an impeachment at the Senate, an event that has left the county sharply divided politically.
During the heated debate, senators argued that the impeachment motion forwarded by the County Assembly was a sham, null and void, and of no legal consequence to warrant admissibility, interrogation, or any other action of the Senate.
Governor Guyo had been accused by Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) of violating the Constitution, abusing his office, and engaging in gross misconduct.
In his defence, the embattled county boss said the ward representatives had disregarded conservatory orders issued by the High Court in Meru. The Governor also objected to the proceedings in the Assembly that led to the impeachment, arguing that they had “salient gaps” which rendered the process a nullity.
Meanwhile, Monday’s protestors accused Speaker Abdullahi Banticha and County Assembly Clerk Sallad Boru of creating confusion within the assembly and frustrating county operations.
The leadership dispute has also entered the County Assembly, where two factions have emerged—one supporting Speaker Banticha and the other backing Mohamed Boru, sparking further administrative paralysis.
The demonstrators called for a swift resolution of the political standoff and demanded that county leaders refocus on service delivery instead of personal power struggles.
As tempers flared, residents vowed to keep up the pressure until the county’s top leadership is held accountable for what they see as a betrayal of public trust.
