Daandi Qarooma

In the often predictable theatre of Kenyan county politics, Isiolo has in recent years staged an anomaly—one so profound that it unsettled entrenched interests long before ballots were cast. Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo, a youthful politician in his early forties, did not merely win an election; he rewrote the political grammar of Isiolo. His ascent, swift and unconventional, disrupted a space long governed by handouts, ethnic arithmetic, and political brokerage, leaving his competitors disoriented, hopeless, and prematurely resigned to defeat.

From the modest corridors of Nairobi’s Kayole–Matopeni MCA seat to the prestigious office of Governor of Isiolo County, Guyo’s journey was nothing short of audacious. Three short months of campaigning, an eternity too brief by traditional standards, were enough to propel him into power.

Yet it was not the speed of his rise that shocked the political establishment; it was what he did after victory. Where others consolidated power through vengeance, exclusion, or quiet deals with rivals, Guyo chose reconciliation. He embraced former adversaries with disarming ease and immediately pivoted to what would become his defining strength: visible, deliberate, and people-centered service delivery.

In abandoning the culture of political handouts that had long anesthetized development, the Governor also severed ties with the political brokers who thrived on transactional politics. In their place, he cultivated a direct relationship with the grassroots. Education-particularly Early Childhood Development Education and county tertiary institutions, took center stage. Healthcare systems were aggressively strengthened, water scarcity confronted with resolve, food security initiatives rolled out with urgency, and infrastructure projects stitched together neglected regions. These were not abstract policy promises but tangible interventions that people could see, touch, and benefit from. In doing so, Guyo bypassed the political middlemen and spoke directly to the conscience and lived realities of ordinary citizens, winning hearts and minds without intermediaries.

Perhaps more radical than his development agenda was his assault on the old politics of division. Isiolo, cosmopolitan by nature, had long been trapped in a medieval political box where ethnicity and nepotism were weaponized to divide and rule. Guyo decisively dismantled this architecture. He invited the people to imagine themselves not as fragments of competing tribes, but as stakeholders in a single, shared Isiolo identity. This ideological shift was liberating for the masses, and terrifying for the old political class. Their relevance had depended on fragmentation; unity threatened their very existence.
Predictably, the old guard recoiled. Former and sitting political figures, sensing the extinction of their influence, coalesced around a singular objective: remove Guyo from power before his term could mature. The impeachment plot that followed was less a constitutional exercise than a desperate gasp for survival. It collapsed before it could gain momentum, and in its failure, it achieved the opposite of its intent. The Governor emerged not weakened, but emboldened, his popularity swelling as his detractors scattered in public embarrassment, unable to reconcile their ambition with their defeat.

The death of Isiolo South MP, the late Hon. Mohamed Tupi, introduced another critical chapter in this political saga. When elders endorsed Tupi’s son, popularly known as Tupi Junior, to succeed his father, many expected the Governor to exploit the moment by fielding a proxy candidate from his own camp. Instead, in a move that stunned both allies and enemies, Guyo stood with the elders and supported the young man, despite their shared history of political rivalry. It was a masterstroke of statesmanship over partisanship.
As opposition forces attempted to manipulate Tupi Junior against accepting the Governor’s support, their schemes unraveled. Guyo not only prevailed but took the lead in campaigning for the young candidate as evidenced by the overwhelming rally witnessed in Garbatula and Kina, graced by the high and mighty representing the Ruling class of course, led by the Ruling Party pointman in Northern Kenya,the one and only Abdi Guyo. A clandestine attempt to introduce Tupi Junior’s half-sister as an alternative candidate collapsed under the weight of its own absurdity, exposing the desperation and cynicism of its architects. Once again, the Governor’s restraint, patience, and strategic clarity suffocated his detractors into political irrelevance.

When insecurity threatened Isiolo, transforming what had once been distant cattle rustling into a menace encroaching upon the town itself, the Governor faced his gravest test. His response was neither evasive nor cosmetic. In a moment of rare political courage, Guyo declared his willingness to walk away from power if that sacrifice was necessary to restore peace. This vow catalyzed decisive national action. The President ordered comprehensive security operations to flush out criminals, recover stolen livestock, dismantle illicit markets, and confiscate illegal firearms.

The Governor’s selflessness elevated him in the eyes of his people, who embraced him not merely as a leader, but as a protector, a Moses-like figure prepared to surrender authority for the salvation of his community.
Today, Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo’s political wizardry has left his fiercest opponents fractured. Some have resigned themselves to defeat; others have degenerated into undignified outbursts and acts of desperation. Yet beyond the noise, one truth stands firm: Isiolo has witnessed the rise of a leader who governs with vision, courage, and uncommon moral clarity. In defying tradition, rejecting division, and placing people above politics, Guyo has not only reshaped Isiolo’s present, but has irrevocably altered its political future.

History often remembers leaders for what they accumulated, power, influence, and longevity in office. Yet, in the quiet margins of Kenya’s political story, a rarer and more potent form of leadership has occasionally emerged: leadership that is willing to lose power in order to preserve dignity. Nowhere is this moral courage more vividly illustrated than in the political history of Isiolo and northern Kenya, where servant leadership has repeatedly surfaced at moments of acute injustice, insecurity, and state neglect.
From the turbulent years of the Shifta conflict to the contemporary scourge of cattle rustling and armed banditry, a remarkable pattern has unfolded. When institutions faltered and coercion replaced compassion, a few leaders chose the unthinkable path: they placed the safety and humanity of their people above personal ambition. In doing so, they reminded the nation that true authority is not enforced, it is surrendered for a higher cause.

1968: The Moral Shock of a Resignation

In 1968, barely five years after Kenya attained independence, the late Hon. Adan Waqo Bonaya, Member of Parliament for Isiolo South, made a decision that remains unmatched in the annals of Kenya’s parliamentary history. At the height of the Shifta menace, northern Kenya was subjected to brutal security operations characterized by collective punishment, harassment, and systematic dehumanization of civilians. Instead of shielding his career behind political silence, Bonaya resigned his parliamentary seat in protest.

This was not a symbolic gesture; it was a moral indictment of the state. His resignation exposed the contradiction of an independent Kenya that had inherited colonial methods of repression against its own citizens. By relinquishing his seat, Bonaya transformed powerlessness into protest and protest into historical conscience. To this day, he remains the first, and last, Kenyan legislator to resign on principle in defense of his constituents’ dignity.

2009: The Power of a Threat That Never Needed Execution

Four decades later, another moment of principled leadership unfolded. In 2009, Dr. Mohamed Abdi Kuti, then a Cabinet Minister in the Kibaki administration, confronted the persistent harassment of his people by armed Samburu cattle rustlers. Rather than issuing routine condemnations, he drew a firm moral line: he threatened to resign if the state failed to protect his constituents.

What followed was instructive. President Mwai Kibaki responded decisively, ordering a security operation that recovered stolen livestock and illegal arms from the rustlers. The result was not merely the restoration of property but the restoration of peace, coexistence, and confidence in the state’s capacity to act justly.
Dr. Kuti’s leadership demonstrated a critical truth: sometimes, the willingness to surrender power is enough to compel authority to act responsibly. His threat carried weight precisely because it was credible and grounded in ethical conviction, not political theatrics.

2025: Leadership at the Crossroads of Ambition and Conscience

Most recently, Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan of Isiolo confronted a similar crossroads. Amid a surge in cattle rustling, murder, and sustained insecurity that has tormented Isiolo for weeks, the Governor made a profound declaration: he would abandon his bid for a second term if it came at the expense of his people’s safety.

In a political culture where incumbency is fiercely guarded, this statement was both rare and disruptive. It reframed leadership not as a quest for re-election, but as a moral contract with the governed. The response was swift. President William Ruto instructed the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Mr. Kipchumba Murkomen, to launch a comprehensive security operation aimed at recovering stolen livestock, mopping up illegal firearms, and pursuing those responsible for the violence.

Once again, the pattern held. When leadership chose sacrifice over self-preservation, the state rediscovered its obligation to protect.
The Enduring Lesson of Servant Leadership
These three moments, spanning nearly six decades, are united by a common ethic: servant leadership that treats power as a trust, not a possession. In each case, leaders confronted a grim reality: when power evaporates and all options seem exhausted, even eloquent appeals can lose their force. Yet instead of resorting to despair or violence, these leaders chose moral sacrifice as their language of protest.
Such leadership is rare because it is costly. It demands that leaders stake their careers, reputations, and futures on the wellbeing of people who often lack national voice. But its impact is profound. It pierces bureaucratic inertia, awakens presidential authority, and restores faith among communities long accustomed to abandonment.

In conclusion, Power that endures by letting go, in an age where leadership is increasingly measured by longevity in office and electoral arithmetic, the examples of Bonaya, Kuti, and Abdi Hassan stand as moral rebukes and enduring inspirations. They teach us that the most transformative power is not the power to command, but the courage to walk away when justice demands it.

Their legacy affirms a timeless truth: when leaders are willing to lose power for their people, the people, and the nation, ultimately gain it back in peace, dignity, and unity.

For months, the people of Isiolo Town and its surrounding areas have lived under the suffocating shadow of fear, as cattle rustlers turned once-quiet landscapes into theatres of terror. Nightfall no longer promised rest, but anxiety; hills that once echoed with pastoral songs instead reverberated with gunfire. It is against this grim backdrop that Governor Abdi Guyo rose, firm and unflinching, to pronounce a decisive riot act against the marauding wakoras who have mercilessly tormented the county.

In a moment that laid bare both the gravity of the crisis and the Governor’s personal anguish, Abdi Guyo revealed that he was forced to deploy his own security detail to protect his 90-year-old mother as bullets criss-crossed dangerously close to her residence. It was not merely a confession of fear, but a moral reckoning. If a sitting Governor could barely shield his own kin, what fate, he asked, awaited the countless ordinary citizens who lacked such privilege?

That stark question cut to the heart of Isiolo’s insecurity, an injustice that demanded action, not rhetoric. With unmistakable resolve, the Governor declared that he had received the go-ahead to roll out stern security measures aimed at restoring calm and dignity to the region.
This menace, he asserted, does not serve the collective interests of any community, but rather the narrow economic and political ambitions of a ruthless few. The era of impunity was over. The cartels would be dismantled, their networks uprooted, and their reign of terror brought to an end.
Isiolo’s security dilemma, long entangled in tensions involving sections of the Turkana and Samburu communities, was addressed with rare candor. Governor Guyo was careful to dispel the dangerous fallacy of collective blame, emphasizing that the violence was driven not by entire communities, but by a handful of rotten elements. Community leaders had been given ample time to isolate and restrain these criminals, but their appeals fell on deaf ears. That failure, the Governor said, left the Country with no option but to act decisively.

Drawing strength from national backing, Governor Guyo disclosed consultations with His Excellency President William Ruto, who directed the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, to coordinate the necessary security architecture. All arrangements, he affirmed, were in place to unleash a comprehensive operation to uproot the plague. Whether the criminals chose to hide in the hills of Baragoi or retreat to familiar hideouts, they would be tracked, smoked out, and apprehended. Stolen livestock would be recovered, and those with the blood of innocent citizens on their hands would be brought to book.

These weighty pronouncements were made during the auspicious World Wetlands Day celebrations, an event hosted by Governor Abdi Guyo that underscored the delicate balance between security, conservation, and sustainable development. The Governor welcomed the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Hon. Dr. Deborah Barasa, who graced the occasion as the chief guest. The event also drew the attendance of the Cabinet Secretary for East African Community Affairs and ASAL, Regional Development Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, the Director General of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Dr. Mamo, alongside a host of senior government officials, conservation experts, community leaders, and other dignitaries.

In a powerful show of statesmanship, Governor Guyo made it clear that political expediency would never trump the security of his people. He openly declared that he could not compromise the safety of Isiolo’s residents for the sake of re-election. If losing the vote was the price to pay for lasting peace, he was prepared to pay it. Leadership, he insisted, is not measured by tenure in office, but by the legacy one leaves behind. He expressed his desire to hand over a peaceful and secure Isiolo, just as Dr. Kuti once did when entrusting him with the reins of leadership.

Beyond security, the Governor passionately championed environmental stewardship, lauding indigenous cultural conservation practices that have safeguarded wetlands since time immemorial. He reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the Dheeda system and called upon the Speaker of the County Assembly, Hon. Banticha, to fast-track critical legislation aimed at enhancing wetland conservation and broader environmental protection across the county.
In drawing this uncompromising line in the dust, Governor Abdi Guyo signaled a defining moment for Isiolo. His message resonated with clarity and conviction: peace is non-negotiable, fear has no place among the people, and true leadership is ultimately judged by the safety, dignity, and sustainability of the land and lives entrusted to it.

This is Aisha Gaddafi, living in exile in Oman, the daughter of Colonel Gaddafi. She has sent a message to the people of Iran that is worth reading:
“O steadfast and freedom-loving people of Iran!
I speak to you from a heart full of destruction, pain, and betrayal. I am the voice of a woman who witnessed the devastation of her country—not at the hands of open enemies, but after being trapped by the deceptive smiles of the West and its false promises.
I warn you not to fall for the deceitful words and slogans of Western imperialists. They once told my father, Colonel Gaddafi, ‘If you abandon your nuclear and missile programs, the doors of the world will open for you.’
My father, with good intentions and trust in dialogue, chose the path of concessions. But in the end, we saw how NATO’s bombs turned our land into rubble. Libya was drowned in blood, and its people were trapped in poverty, exile, and destruction.
My Iranian sisters and brothers, your courage, dignity, and resilience in the face of sanctions, informants, and economic warfare are proof of your nation’s honor and true freedom. Giving concessions to the enemy brings nothing but destruction, division, and suffering. Negotiating with a wolf will not save the sheep or bring lasting peace—it only sets the date for the next meal!
History has proven that those who stood firm—from Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea to Palestine—remain alive in the hearts of the world’s heroes and became immortal in history with honor. And those who surrendered were reduced to ashes, their names forgotten.
Salute to the brave people of Iran!
Salute to Iranian resistance!
Salute to global solidarity with the Palestinian people!
With love and compassion,
Aisha Gaddafi”.

Politics, like the open sea, is often unforgiving, its waves turbulent, its winds unpredictable. Yet it is in such restless waters that courage is tested and truth finds its loudest voice. It was against this dramatic backdrop that the flamboyant Speaker of the Isiolo County Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Banticha, ventured beyond familiar shores to articulate hard political realities about Isiolo County, realities so piercing that they rattled vested interests and provoked chaotic resistance.

At the Warsu congregation in Marsabit, Hon. Banticha delivered a speech that was as bold as it was unapologetic. With eloquence and historical precision, he dissected the political journey of Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo, drawing a sharp contrast with the leadership trajectory of his Marsabit counterpart. What began as a calm exposition soon evolved into a political masterclass, one that celebrated service, exposed complacency, and challenged the culture of egocentric leadership.

The Speaker traced Governor Guyo’s ascent from his days as Minority Leader at the Nairobi City County Assembly, a period marked by purposeful engagement and tangible empowerment. He recalled how Guyo championed the rights of marginalized communities in Kayole-Matopeni, facilitating access to critical land ownership documents, integrating locals into income-generating ventures, and lifting countless families, particularly from the  entire Borana speaking community, out of the grip of generational poverty. These, Banticha argued, were not hollow promises but deliberate interventions that restored dignity and opportunity. Hon. Banticha emphasized all Boran speakers are Boran and we should avoid any discrimination.

Returning to Isiolo, the Speaker painted a portrait of transformative governance.
Under Governor Guyo’s stewardship, the county has witnessed unprecedented strides in service delivery, expanded access to clean water, strengthened healthcare systems, investments in Early Childhood Education, enhanced food security, and cross-cutting development initiatives that have redefined livelihoods.

These gains, Banticha emphasized, were not selective but inclusive, with the Borana community standing as a visible beneficiary of responsive and people-centered leadership.

It was at this juncture that the comparison grew starker. Banticha posed a piercing question to the gathering: what comparable legacy could Marsabit’s leadership present after a decade at the helm? In his view, beyond the politics of division and the mobilization of tribal animosities, there was little in the way of measurable development or enduring impact.
Perhaps predictably, the truth proved unsettling. As the Speaker’s words gathered momentum, goons allegedly linked to the Marsabit Governor forcefully disrupted the event, creating scenes of mayhem, confusion, and intimidation. Microphones were seized, tempers flared, and the specter of violence briefly loomed.

Yet, even in that disorder, the message had already landed. The crowd had heard, understood, and internalized the argument, responding with ululations and celebration that no disruption could silence.
In the end, the episode served as a timeless reminder: falsehood may run swiftly, but truth has endurance. It needs only a moment, an opening, to assert itself. Once truth enters the aura, it dissolves deception with astonishing speed. No amount of noise, intimidation, or manufactured chaos can erase facts once they have taken root in the public conscience.

Hon. Abdullahi Banticha’s defiant stand at Warsu was more than a speech; it was a declaration that leadership must be judged by service, not slogans, and that in politics, as in life, truth ultimately outlives turbulence.

In Isiolo County’s evolving political lands, few terms have been as loudly proclaimed, or as dangerously misused, as Borantiti. Draped in the language of ethnic solidarity, the concept has recently been weaponized by sections of the opposition, not as a sincere call for Boran empowerment, but as a convenient ladder for individual ambition. Beneath the emotional rhetoric lies a troubling reality: what is presented as a struggle for Boran interests is, in truth, a narrow and self-serving quest for power through the back door.

A sober comparison between rhetoric and record exposes this contradiction. While opposition figures loudly chant Borantiti, it is the government of Governor Abdi Guyo that has demonstrably advanced Boran interests in concrete, measurable, and unprecedented ways. Governance, after all, is not proven by slogans but by policy choices, institutional representation, and tangible outcomes.

This truth was laid bare by Hon. Mumina Golo Bonaya during a fundraiser in Isiolo, where she challenged the moral authority of those claiming to be custodians of Borantiti. She questioned, rightly, where these voices were when Boran interests required action rather than applause.

Her most compelling illustration was the attempted impeachment of the Governor. Among the charges was the hiring of 32 Chief Officers, yet 16 of these were ethnic Boran. Another accusation cited the appointment of tens of Advisors, more than half of whom were also Boran. Ironically, the very figures meant to incriminate the Governor instead testified to his administration’s inclusivity and commitment to Boran representation.

The opposition’s own actions further dismantled their narrative. In an effort to discredit the county leadership, they leaked the county payroll to the public. The outcome was not the scandal they anticipated; rather, it revealed a staffing structure disproportionately favoring ethnic Boran. What was intended as an exposé became irrefutable evidence that the Guyo administration had, in fact, institutionalized Boran participation in county governance.

Hon. Mumina did not stop at statistics; she invoked political symbolism to drive the point home. Recalling the Governor’s Garbatula declaration, she reminded the people of Isiolo that his declared core working team, herself, Mohamed Roba, former Governor Godana Doyo and Giran Dira, are all Boran. When she asked the audience whether these names represented Boran identity, the response was a standing ovation. In that moment, rhetoric yielded to reality.

Further reinforcing this pattern was the Governor’s conduct beyond Isiolo. At a mosque fundraiser in Dabel, Marsabit County, he openly urged his Sakuye community to support Col. Raso and Professor Guyo in the 2027 elections, both Boran. This was a striking demonstration of leadership that prioritizes Boran advancement even when political gain might suggest otherwise. It stood in stark contrast to opposition figures who preach unity while quietly advancing personal agendas.

In a moment that blended humor with sharp political critique, Hon. Mumina drew laughter from the crowd by asking whether the lone Sakuye woman fervently accompanying the opposition, literally tightening her scarf as she ran after their cause, had even earned a mention among their projected political contenders. The laughter carried a serious message: tokenism is not empowerment, and spectacle is not substance.

Beyond county politics, Hon. Mumina anchored her credibility in her personal record of service. During her brief tenure as Deputy Cabinet Secretary, she facilitated the employment of Boran professionals as Directors and Deputy Directors of Education within the national government positions they now occupy with dignity and stability. She brought the PS in The Office of the President to Merti, secured the elevation of Chari Sub-County, and initiated the elevation processes for Sericho and Oldonyiro.

These were not promises; they were achievements.
Perhaps most telling was her account of securing lorry-loads of relief assistance for Boran communities, by boldly accessing an office where a Boran colleague sat idly reading newspapers. Her initiative earned her lasting enmity from that colleague, yet she dismissed the personal fallout with clarity and conviction. Government offices, she asserted, exist for the people, and her presence there was justified by one overriding principle: advancing the Boran’s rightful share in national resources.

In the final analysis, Borantiti cannot be reduced to noise, outrage, or selective memory. It must be measured by outcomes, representation, and sacrifice. The evidence is overwhelming: the administration of Governor Abdi Guyo, supported by leaders like Hon. Mumina Golo Bonaya, has translated Boran identity into empowerment, access, and elevation. The opposition, by contrast, offers eloquent speeches while drinking wine after preaching water.

True Borantiti is not declared, it is delivered. And in Isiolo, the record speaks louder than the rhetoric.

Have you ever noticed how some individuals command respect without raising their voice, while others struggle to be heard no matter how hard they try?
Weakness is rarely about lack of ability. More often, it is about the signals we send daily—often unconsciously.
The encouraging truth is this: signals can be corrected once they are clearly recognized.

The following principles serve as guidance for cultivating respect, credibility, and quiet authority.

1. Principle: Self-Worth Must Not Depend on External Validation
Policy: Constantly seeking approval transfers personal power to others.
Advisory: Confidence strengthens when decisions stand on conviction, not applause. Validation is optional; self-trust is essential.

2. Principle: Avoidance Erodes Authority
Policy: Avoiding difficult conversations invites repeated boundary violations.
Advisory: Addressing issues early is not aggression—it is maturity. Strength is steady, not silent surrender.

3. Principle: Apologies Must Retain Meaning
Policy: Over-apologizing diminishes presence and weakens credibility.
Advisory: Take responsibility when wrong, but never apologize for existing, for asking, or for having boundaries.

4. Principle: Presence Communicates Before Words
Policy: Poor posture and restless body language signal insecurity.
Advisory: Grounded stillness, eye contact, and calm movements communicate confidence without effort.

5. Principle: Words Must Align With Action
Policy: Unkept promises quietly destroy trust.
Advisory: Credibility is built through consistent follow-through. Respect fades long before politeness does.

6. Principle: Disrespect Must Be Addressed Early
Policy: Repeatedly tolerating disrespect becomes silent permission.
Advisory: Clarity prevents escalation. Addressing issues promptly protects future interactions.

7. Principle: Authority Does Not Require Excess Explanation
Policy: Over-explaining makes decisions appear negotiable.
Advisory: State choices clearly and move forward. Certainty does not owe justification to everyone.

8. Principle: Emotional Control Preserves Power
Policy: Emotional outbursts give others leverage.
Advisory: Calm responses remove manipulation opportunities. Self-control creates respect, not distance.

9. Principle: Environment Reflects Self-Worth
Policy: Remaining where you are consistently undervalued signals acceptance of mistreatment.
Advisory: Sometimes strength is choosing distance. Quiet exits often speak the loudest.

10. Principle: Self-Belief Is the Foundation of Respect
Policy: Those who do not believe they deserve respect rarely receive it.
Advisory: Belief shapes behavior; behavior shapes treatment. Change the belief, and the pattern changes with it.

Conclusion
Appearing weak is not a personality flaw—it is a pattern of habits and signals.
Once recognized, these patterns can be replaced with clarity, consistency, and calm presence.

True strength does not announce itself.
It is felt in how one moves, chooses, and stands firm without noise.

REFLECT CAREFULLY:
Which of these habits have been mistaken for “being nice,” while quietly costing you respect?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026!

The year 2025 will be remembered not merely as a passage of time, but as a defining chapter in the political and developmental history of Isiolo County. It was the year that unsettled the political class, rattled entrenched interests, and exposed the stark contrast between politics of rhetoric and leadership of results. Above all, it was the year that laid bare the transformative impact of *Governor Abdi Guyo’s* three short yet remarkably productive years in office.

From the outset, 2025 carried an unusual tension within Isiolo’s political atmosphere. It was the year when envy surfaced openly, no longer confined within the county’s borders, but spilling into neighbouring counties. Regional political heavyweights, alarmed by the awakening electorate of Isiolo, invested heavily in efforts to halt a man whose leadership was opening eyes, reshaping expectations, and redefining governance in a region long accustomed to empty promises.
Governor Abdi Guyo emerged as a target not because of failure, but because of unprecedented success. His focused leadership delivered at a pace unfamiliar to a region historically trapped in cycles of flamboyant campaigns, clan mobilisations, political bravado, piecemeal handouts, and five years of governance with little to show in tangible development. In stark contrast,

Guyo chose a different path, one anchored in discipline, continuity, and results. Immediately after taking the oath of office, he did not shelve his manifesto in favour of convenience or political theatrics. Instead, he meticulously integrated it into the County Integrated Development Programme (CIDP) and moved swiftly, decisively, and relentlessly into implementation. Precision replaced propaganda. Action displaced noise.
Breaking with the long-standing political tradition of abandoning ongoing projects to start new ones branded with personal signatures, Governor Guyo prioritised continuity. Stalled and neglected projects were revived. Dead initiatives were given new life. The giant Export Abattoir, once symbolic of dashed hopes, was resuscitated. Flagship projects initiated under Dr. Mohamed Abdi Kuti, such as the Market, and the KMTC Hostels, were carried through to completion. Governance, under Guyo, became a relay rather than a reset.

Water became the true signature of his administration. Within just three years, a staggering sixty-eight boreholes were sunk alongside two massive water pans—more than half of them already equipped and operationalised. This achievement alone eclipsed what had been accomplished in over six decades since independence. During the current drought, the impact of this investment transcended county borders. Nomadic pastoralists from Marsabit and Samburu, whose livestock found refuge and survival in Isiolo, openly lamented that their votes had “gone to waste” elsewhere. Some spoke openly of relocating not just their herds, but their families and political allegiance to Isiolo. Rarely has development spoken so loudly across boundaries.

The health sector, too, witnessed a quiet revolution. Isiolo gained a state of the Art Accident and Emergency Unit, a State of the Art modern Maternity at Isiolo County Teaching and Referral Hospital, a State of the Art Three tier Admission ward with 30 Bed capacity at Bisan Biliqo, Rehabilitation and operationalization of Operation Theater at Garbatula Level 4 Hospital, the, establishment upto operationalization of Eye Unit at Garbatula.
An additional ten Health centres throughout the County, caters for almost thirty percent increase over the thirty-five established since independence. Medical personnel numbers doubled across cadres, including doctors, nurses, clinicians, laboratory technologists, and radiologists. The result was transformative: distances to medical facilities were nearly halved, and access to care dramatically improved, all within three years.

Education at the foundational level was not left behind. Each ward received three additional ECD centres, accompanied by universal nutritional support for all ECD learners. Over fifty new ECD teachers were recruited, with more in the pipeline, ensuring that early childhood education became both accessible and dignified.

Infrastructure development further altered the county’s landscape. Three massive bridges were completed, the Bulapesa Tarmack Road opened new arteries of movement, and over eighty murram roads connected communities long isolated. Cabro works became a defining feature of Isiolo’s CBD, while streetlights illuminated roads from Bulapesa to Oldonyiro, and from Ngaremara to Merti, symbolising not just visibility, but safety, order, and progress.

A ten year County Spacial plan has successfully been implemented, and with it, came a drastic increase of Title Deeds from 37 by end of 2021 to over 5000 and an additional 10000 Allotment letters.
Community Land Registration was already completed in Chari Dheeda while other areas are in the process of completing the Registration.

Equally instrumental to these gains was Governor Abdi Guyo’s exemplary rapport with the National Government, anchored on partnership, mutual respect, strategic alignment, and a shared vision for grassroots transformation. His close working relationship with His Excellency the President and seamless cooperation with the Ruling Party translated into tangible dividends for Isiolo’s people. Through this partnership, three sub-counties were elevated, decisively bringing administrative authority and essential government services closer to wananchi who had long endured distance and marginalisation. National agencies such as KERA and KURA were fast-tracked to upgrade and maintain critical road networks, enhancing connectivity, trade, and mobility across the county. Livelihoods were further strengthened through restocking programmes and complementary national initiatives that bolstered pastoral resilience, food security, and household incomes, firmly entrenching Isiolo within the national development agenda.

Economic empowerment formed the backbone of Guyo’s inclusive development agenda. Over seventy million shillings were invested in Ngaremara women groups, thirty-five million in Bursat women groups, alongside the distribution of one hundred motorcycles, four tuk-tuks, four Nissan vehicles, and extensive support through carwash and hair salon equipment. These interventions collectively lifted over thirty percent of Isiolo households out of absolute poverty, a feat rarely achieved through rhetoric alone.

It is therefore little wonder that such progress unsettled political establishments both within and beyond Isiolo. Heavyweight politicians from neighbouring counties, aligned with local politicians and hopefuls, led by the county’s own Senator, sought to politically cripple Governor Abdi Guyo. The attempted impeachment was the culmination of this alliance of inconvenience. Yet it collapsed even before takeoff, undone by its own hollowness.

Ironically, the move achieved the opposite of its intent. Public support for the Governor surged, and the architects of the scheme scattered into political oblivion. The people had seen, felt, and benefited from development, and they chose performance over propaganda.

Thus, 2025 stands tall as the year that was: a year of reckoning, a year of exposure, and a year that firmly cemented Abdi Guyo’s leadership as a benchmark for governance in Isiolo and beyond.

HAPPY NEW GREGORIAN CALENDER  YEAR         2026!

Why does the Qur’an mention bees as female?
It is a small detail—easy to overlook. Yet once noticed, it becomes profoundly transformative.
In Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), Allah draws our attention to one of the most remarkable creatures in creation. He says:
“And your Lord revealed to the bees…”
(Qur’an 16:68)
But it is not merely what is said that invites reflection—it is how it is said.
The Precision of Divine Language
In the Arabic Qur’an, the verbs that follow this verse are all in the feminine grammatical form. Allah addresses the bees with commands such as:
“Build for yourselves”
“Then eat”
“Then follow the paths of your Lord”
Each instruction is linguistically directed to a female.
This is not incidental. Arabic is a precise language. The Qur’an could have easily used masculine or neutral forms to address bees generally—but it did not. Instead, it used specific feminine grammar, deliberately and consistently.
Why?
Science Meets Revelation
Modern science now confirms what humanity did not know 1,400 years ago:
Honey producers are female
Hive builders are female
Nectar collectors and path followers are female
The male bee—the drone—has a singular role: reproduction. It does not gather nectar, does not build the hive, does not produce honey. It lives briefly, has no stinger, and contributes no labor to the colony’s daily survival.
And yet, at the time of revelation, no microscope existed, no biological classification could distinguish male from female bees with the naked eye.
Still, the Qur’an spoke with flawless accuracy.
The Healing Gift
Allah continues in the very next verse:
﴿ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌۭ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌۭ لِّلنَّاسِ ﴾
“From their bellies comes a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for mankind.”
(Qur’an 16:69)
What emerges from the tireless effort of the female bee is not only honey—but healing, a mercy for humanity.
An Eternal Honour
In a world where the labor, intelligence, and contribution of women are often minimized or overlooked, Allah chose to honour the work of the female bee. Her discipline. Her obedience. Her productivity.
He immortalized her effort in His Book—forever recited, forever preserved.
This is not merely a lesson in biology. It is a lesson in humility, reflection, and reverence for divine wisdom.
A Closing Reflection
O Allah!
How perfect is Your speech—even in a single verse.
You teach us attentiveness to detail, humility before knowledge, and awe before revelation.
You remind us that nothing in the Qur’an is accidental, and no word is without purpose.
Glory be to You, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In a nation where the promise of devolution has too often been weighed down by bureaucratic lethargy, weak execution, and squandered opportunity, Isiolo County has emerged as a blazing exception, an audacious rebuke to mediocrity and a powerful affirmation of what purposeful leadership can achieve. The county’s stellar developmental performance, consistently affirmed by independent pollsters, over the years, has now received the ultimate seal of credibility: the imprimatur of the Controller of Budget.

According to the latest Budget Implementation Review, Isiolo County has been ranked the best-performing county in Kenya in the absorption of development funds during the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. By posting an impressive 21 per cent absorption rate of its approved development budget under the Vote-on-Account, Isiolo did not merely top the chart, it shattered it. At a time when development spending across the country has been disturbingly sluggish, Isiolo surged ahead, outperforming its nearest competitor by more than threefold and setting a standard that others can only aspire to reach.

This achievement becomes even more striking when viewed against the grim national backdrop. Collectively, county governments spent a paltry KShs. 3.69 billion on development in the first quarter, just 2 per cent of the aggregate annual development budget of KShs. 220.46 billion. While many counties remained trapped in endless cycles of planning without execution, Isiolo decisively crossed the Rubicon from intention to action. Its double-digit absorption rate stands as a bold declaration of preparedness, prioritisation, and institutional competence.

Elsewhere, a handful of counties, Kirinyaga at 7 per cent and Machakos, Mandera, Murang’a, Kitui, and Makueni at 5 per cent, managed modest progress. Yet the most damning revelation of the report is that 20 counties recorded zero absorption on development expenditure in the same period. Zero. In that stark contrast lies the true measure of Isiolo’s exceptionalism. Where others stalled, Isiolo delivered. Where others hesitated, Isiolo acted.

Fiscal prudence experts have long emphasised that early absorption of development funds is not a statistical vanity but a strategic necessity. It is the difference between timely project completion and chronic delays, between cost efficiency and runaway escalations, between service delivery and the curse of pending bills. Isiolo’s performance signals strong project readiness, efficient procurement systems, and seamless coordination between the county executive and the treasury, hallmarks of a government that knows what it wants and how to achieve it.

At the heart of this success is leadership. The Abdi Guyo administration has demonstrated that development is not a function of rhetoric but of resolve. Through disciplined planning, political will, and an unrelenting focus on results, the regime has turned Isiolo into a living laboratory of effective devolution. This is not accidental governance; it is deliberate, strategic, and unapologetically bold.

Unsurprisingly, the naysayers and the perennial doubting Thomases find themselves at a loss, struggling to digest a reality that refuses to conform to their cynicism. The numbers speak with an authority no propaganda can mute. Isiolo’s performance is beyond contention, beyond spin, and beyond denial. It is empirical, verified, and nationally acknowledged.

As other counties continue to grapple with delayed disbursements, administrative bottlenecks, and weak project execution, Isiolo offers more than a success story, it offers a benchmark. If the current momentum is sustained throughout the financial year, the county is poised not only for timely completion of projects but also for tangible, life-changing improvements in service delivery for its people.

Isiolo has sent a clear message to Kenya: effective leadership works, preparation pays, and development is possible. Under the Abdi Guyo regime, the sky is not the limit, it is merely the beginning.