Senate directs Inspector General of Police to arrest Governor Guyo

Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and his Deputy James Lowasa during Madaraka Day celebrations at Malkagala trading centre in Cherab sub-county, on June 1, 2026. [File, Standard]

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee has directed the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to arrest and produce Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo for failing to honour summons.

The Committee Chairman Moses Kajwang directed the Inspector General of Police to arrest and produce Governor Guyo before the Senate Committee on July 20 this year to answer audit queries on financial expenditure for the financial year 2024/2025.

Kajwang said that the Isiolo County Secretary had sent a letter to the Senate stating the Governor could not appear because the committee since he had been summoned by the County Assembly to appear before it with the letter coming in two days before his appearance.

"We need the Governor of Isiolo Abdi Guyo here not as a favour but has an obligation to be accountable to the billions of shillings allocated by the county he leads, that is why we have directed the Inspector General of Police to produce him on July 20, " said Kajwang.

Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said that the County Secretary was lying to the Senate since the County Assembly was currently in Mombasa and not in Isiolo as it was being indicated and that the Governor was looking for an excuse not to appear before the Senate over audit queries.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherarkey said that Guyo has shown contempt to the committee in the past and that he should be arrested and produced to answer audit queries for accountability purposes since he cannot escape from his responsibility as a Governor.

Kajwang said that all the Governors who gave various reasons for non-appearance before the committee for the last two weeks will have to come so that they can give an account for the billions of shillings allocated to their administrations in the financial year 2024/2025.

The Committee has previously directed the Inspector General to arrest Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for their failure to honour several summons to appear before the committee when were required to do so last year.

The Inspector General of Police while appearing before the Senate Committee in December 2025, said that his officers are ready to arrest Governors ignoring Senate summons and produce them before the relevant committees.

“Let me state that there is no one who is above the law, the National Police Service will continue to operating within the law, we are ready to work together with this committee and parliament for the good of the people whenever we are called upon,” Kanja said.

The Inspector General had appeared before the Senate Committee to explain his inaction to arrest and produce errant governors who snub the committee whenever asked to do so in which he said that his officers were ready to effect arrest whenever directed to do so by parliament.

Kajwang said that the committee has written to Kanja to arrest and produce Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit for constantly evading the committee despite several summons seeking to know the progress in the matter.

Kanja told the committee that the police were willing and ready to arrest and produce any Governor, provided they get clear instructions and that they had indeed requested more time, but if given a date and time any witness who refuses to come, they will avail them.

“Ordinarily, when we arrest a person, they are required to produce them in court within 24 hours but for this one, being somehow special, we need to have an agreement on when this person needs to be presented before the committee,” said Kanja.