Test for President Ruto as State House Visit Triggers Political Storm in Isiolo
A recent visit to State House by a group of elders allied to Isiolo County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Roba Qoto has ignited a political firestorm in Isiolo. Leaders aligned with Governor Abdi Guyo have criticized the visit, accusing the delegation of prioritizing personal political interests over the needs of Isiolo residents.
President William Ruto met the group on Wednesday, just weeks after the Senate dismissed an attempt to impeach Governor Guyo. The visit has further fueled ongoing disputes about the legitimacy of the county assembly’s speaker.
A contested government gazette notice recently removed Speaker Mohamed Roba Qoto, appointing former Isiolo South MP and current County Finance Executive Abdulahi Banticha as his replacement. The matter is currently before the courts.
Isiolo Woman Representative Mumina Bonaya condemned the visit, accusing the delegation of misleading the president. She argued that they were driven by political motives and failed to advocate for development initiatives during the meeting.
Bonaya emphasized that genuine engagement with the president should focus on securing development projects for the county.
Former Isiolo South MP Abdi Koropu also criticized the group, claiming they falsely presented themselves as representatives of Isiolo’s diverse communities while in fact representing only one clan.
He dismissed claims that President Ruto had reinstated Qoto as speaker, saying the president emphasized that the issue must be resolved in accordance with the law.
Abdulahi Banticha, who now occupies the disputed speaker’s seat, said the delegation that met the president did not reflect the voice or interests of the majority in Isiolo.
He accused former Woman Representative Rehema Dida Jaldesa of feeding the president misinformation and warned that her actions had previously caused political divisions in the region.
The State House visit now seemingly becoming a major political test for President Ruto, who now faces pressure to navigate Isiolo’s increasingly complex and divided local leadership landscape.
During the visit women and youth groups were issued with machadise consisting of tents, chairs,car washing machines and checks all worth shilling two million from the office of the women rep NGAF kitty.
The county government also issued each women groups KSH. 50,000 to be used as seed capital for their Village Savings Associations, a program that was initiated by the office of the women Rep.
