Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo can breathe a sigh of relief after a three-judge bench has dismissed a petition filed seeking his removal from office over claims of party hopping.
This is after a petition was lodged in June 2023, seeking his removal as Governor for allegedly defecting from the Jubilee party to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The court on Friday, December 5, dismissed the petition, maintaining that while party hopping is unlawful in Kenya, there was no evidence implicating Guyo and his deputy, John Lowasa.
The petitioners had argued that Guyo and Lowasa's alleged defection from UDA automatically meant they had lost their seats and thus the courts should bar them from running the county.
According to the complaints, the 'automatic resignation' by the two leaders created a void that the petitioners claimed should be filled through a by-election.
Through their lawyer, the petitioners claimed that the duo’s defection undermined and subverted multi-party democracy in Kenya and particularly in Isiolo County.
The petitioners further sought that the court issue a conservatory order stopping the two leaders from running the county until the matter is heard and determined.
Addressing members of the public after the ruling, Governor Guyo said that the accusations levelled against him that he defected were baseless, ill-intended, and driven purely by political mischief.
Guyo further alleged that the individuals who aggressively pushed the impeachment narrative were the same ones behind the unfounded claims that were today dismissed by the court.
"Once again, those who attempted to mislead the public and undermine our leadership have been exposed and shamed by the truth," the Governor noted.
Adding, "The court threw out the petition after establishing that there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever that we ever resigned from or defected from the Jubilee Party."
