Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo during a meeting in Isiolo on Saturday/ HANDOUT
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, saying claims of banditry and livestock theft are being used to bully political leaders and influence Isiolo residents' political choices.
Speaking during a meeting in Isiolo on Saturday, Guyo dismissed claims linking him and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to alleged livestock theft, urging residents to reject what he described as political “stupidity”.
“I want to tell Gachagua from here in Isiolo. I knew you when you were Deputy President. I never heard him talk about banditry when he was Deputy President. Who is he to talk now?” Guyo said.
Gachagua, who served as deputy president under President William Ruto before their political fallout, has increasingly positioned himself as a critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
His remarks on insecurity, particularly banditry in the northern region, have drawn political responses from leaders allied to the President.
Guyo alleged the former deputy president was attempting to intimidate leaders and dictate who should be elected in Isiolo.
“...If he is used to bullying people into submission, then he should know that I am not the type you can bully into submission,” he said.
The governor also rejected allegations that he was involved in stealing or selling livestock belonging to residents, challenging Isiolo voters to judge the claims for themselves.
“If you say I am selling other people’s livestock, you, the people of Isiolo, do you think that is true? Can I do that work?” Guyo asked.
Guyo further warned Gachagua against assuming that political endorsements from influential figures could determine the outcome of elections in Isiolo.
“Who are you to tell people who will be elected and who will not?” he said, adding that his political survival depended on God and the electorate.
“My fate is in God’s hands, not human beings. I cannot be bullied by anyone,” he said.
Guyo, who has built a long political career in Nairobi and Isiolo, said the Kikuyu community residing in Isiolo would still vote for him, Gachagua’s political position notwithstanding.
“I know there are so many Kikuyus in Isiolo, but they cannot fail to elect me because Wamunyoro has said so. No,” he said.
Turning to the 2027 presidential contest, Guyo predicted strong support for Ruto in Isiolo, despite growing political realignments ahead of the elections.
“I want to tell Gachagua today: President William Ruto will get 80 per cent of the people of Isiolo,” Guyo said.
He also questioned the political weight of Gachagua’s supporters who recently visited him from Isiolo, saying he believed most came from a single clan.
“Over 80 per cent of them came from one clan,” he said, setting the stage for an increasingly contested political battle in the county.
