Isiolo members of the county assembly, led by David
Lemantile, Deputy Speaker, during a press conference on July 30, 2025/EZEKIEL
AMING'AA section of Isiolo MCAs has strongly dismissed claims that they fraudulently approved the county’s 2025-26 budget, terming the allegations false, misleading, and politically motivated.
MCAs, led by Speaker Abdullahi Banticha and Deputy Speaker David Lemantile, said the budget process followed all legal and procedural requirements, and warned residents against being misled by individuals’ intent on disrupting peace and development in the county.
“I want to urge the people of Isiolo not to be misused. There is nothing as important as peace,” Lemantile said during a press conference in Nairobi, the
His remarks follow recent political unrest in Isiolo, including a failed attempt to impeach Governor Abdi Guyo, which has fueled tensions in the region.
“We don’t have any other county to run to. We will remain Isiolo people. Let everyone do their work. If something is not right, there is a legal channel to address it,” he added.
Lemantile emphasised that the Assembly received the 2025-26 Appropriation Bill in line with Section 222(1) of the Standing Orders and approved it after a comprehensive review of its implications on development, investment, employment, and economic growth.
“The Isiolo County Executive is within the law to proceed with the implementation of the approved Appropriation Act, 2025, as gazetted,” he said.
Budget Committee Vice Chairperson Rehema Abdikadir echoed the deputy speaker’s sentiments, saying reports that the budget was passed irregularly were not only false but also aimed at creating unnecessary tension.
“I want to assure the people of Isiolo that the 2025-26 budget passed through the proper legal processes. All steps were followed. Nothing was skipped. Everything was done by the law,” she said.
Rehema warned residents against falling for propaganda being spread by individuals seeking to paralyse county operations and stall service delivery.
“As the vice chair, I can confirm that we followed all due process. The executive submitted the estimates on time, and we went through the entire process diligently. The county must function and continue delivering to the people,” she said.
MCA Fransisco Letimalo defended the budget's passage, noting that it was approved by nine out of the 18 MCAs—well above the legal quorum of six.
“Those saying this budget wasn’t passed are not being truthful. We had a quorum. While some were caught in political wrangles, we did our job,” he said.
He added that both the Budget Committee and plenary sessions were properly constituted when the budget was approved.
“The process was fair, legal, and procedurally sound. We had the chairman, the vice chairperson, and the necessary quorum in place,” Letimalo affirmed.
Meanwhile, the MCAs also rejected claims that they are plotting to remove Assembly Clerk Salad Guracha.
“There is currently no resolution to remove Mr. Salad. Anyone purporting to have initiated such a process is acting contrary to the law,” Lemantile clarified.
