Isiolo: Wrangles Deepen as Court Blocks Removal of New Assembly Speaker
- On Tuesday, July 15, Labour and Relations Court Judge Hellen Wasilwa issued order regarding the leadership of Isiolo County Assembly
- Speaker Abdullahi Jaldesa Banticha moved to court after clerk Salad Guracha took drastic steps that affected his position
- During Governor Abdi Guyo's impeachment saga, senators realised that the Isiolo County Assembly was operating with two speakers
Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi - Leadership wrangles in Isiolo County Assembly have taken a new twist following the direction by the Labour and Employment Court.
Source: Facebook
On Tuesday, July 15, Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, certified the case filed by recently gazetted Speaker Abdullahi Jaldesa Banticha as urgent.
Why did Abdullahi Jaldesa Banticha move to court?
In the ruling seen by TUKO.co.ke, Justice Wasilwa issued conservatory orders in favour of Banticha.
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The judge barred any attempts to degazette or remove Banticha from office pending the hearing and determination of a petition he filed against the government.
“In the interim, no action be taken removing or degazetting the applicant as the Speaker of the Respondent,” Justice Wasilwa ruled.
On Monday, July 14, Isiolo County Assembly Clerk Salad Guracha revoked the election of Banticha as the speaker.
Aggrieved by Salad's decision, Banticha moved to the Labour and Relations Court, seeking orders to quash the gazette notice.
In his petition, Banticha named the Government Press and the State Law Office as respondents in the case.
Justice Wasilwa certified the petition as urgent and directed the petitioner to serve on all respondents, including the Government Printer and the State Law Office.
She said an inter partes hearing will be held on Thursday, July 17, where she will issue further directions in the case.
Source: Facebook
Does the Isiolo County Assembly have 2 speakers?
Banticha was recently appointed as the new speaker, succeeding Mohamed Roba, who had overseen the contentious and ultimately failed impeachment motion against Governor Abdi Guyo.
Throughout the impeachment proceedings, it became clear to the senators that the Isiolo County Assembly had been functioning with two opposing speakers.
The aftermath of that impeachment attempt has led to a deep division within the assembly, resulting in severe polarisation.
On Friday, July 11, Roba suffered a major setback after High Court Justice Bahati Mwamuye declined to lift his degazettement of Banticha as Isiolo County Assembly Speaker.
Through the Operation Linda Jamii lobby group, Roba wanted the High Court to suspend the gazettement of Banticha as the new speaker.
However, the judge declined to issue the order but instead directed all 20 interested parties to be served.
Has Abdi Guyo reconciled with MCAs?
Meanwhile, Governor Guyo launched efforts to reconcile with MCAs who impeached him over alleged abuse of office.
On Saturday, July 12, Guyo held a meeting with seven out of 16 ward representatives who backed his impeachment motion.
The embattled governor told TUKO.co.ke that the meeting was the beginning of reconciliation efforts aimed at resolving issues impeding development in the county.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
