When Isiolo County Assembly sittings were moved to Oldonyiro to allow for renovations in the town chambers, many thought it would simply be a change of venue. What has unfolded instead is a tale of two assemblies: one bogged down by wrangles and another proving that serious business can actually be done when leaders put people first.
In Oldonyiro, the mood has been strikingly different. In just two weeks, MCAs have sat down, debated passionately, and passed three important Bills: the Trade and Markets Bill, the Community Conservancies Bill, and the Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill. These laws, once signed by the Governor, will directly touch the daily lives of ordinary people by creating better markets, giving community conservancies a stronger voice, and protecting wildlife while ensuring communities share in the benefits.
Compare that with the earlier sittings in Isiolo town. Week after week, energy was wasted on motions aimed at disbanding a legally constituted County Assembly Public Service Board, targeting the Clerk, Mr. Salad Boru Guracha, or scheming to dethrone the Assembly leadership. Nothing of substance came out of those sittings, which have since been declared null and void. Instead of shaping laws to improve people’s lives, they turned into arenas of division and political supremacy.
Even more telling is the desperation that has followed. Instead of validating their position through meaningful legislative work, some MCAs in Isiolo town have resorted to running around, holding press conferences, and trying to discredit the Oldonyiro sittings. Yet, if their chamber were truly legal and legitimate, why the obsession with attacking and undermining colleagues in Oldonyiro? Press briefings and constant political fights will not turn an illegal sitting into a valid one, nor will they convince the people that chaos is leadership.
Oldonyiro tells a different story. The MCAs there appear sharp, well composed, and genuinely connected to the realities of the county. Their debates have been engaging and progressive, grounded in current affairs and the pressing needs of Isiolo residents. Listening to them, one feels they are not just ticking boxes but truly wrestling with issues that matter: how to help small traders, how to protect pastoral land, and how to balance conservation with livelihoods.
Hon. Rahma Abdikadir, who sponsored and moved the three BillAMPs, captured this spirit when she remarked, “These laws will change the way Isiolo balances trade, conservation, and livelihoods. For the first time, our traders, herders, and conservancy members will feel directly supported by legislation that protects their interests and gives them a voice.” Her words echoed the sense of pride that many in Oldonyiro feel about their Assembly’s focus on real business.
The Executive has already signaled its goodwill to ensure the Bills are implemented once assented to by the Governor. That unity of purpose between Assembly and Executive gives hope that this momentum will not be lost.
The contrast is hard to ignore. While the Isiolo town chambers thrived on chaos, endless motions, and noisy press conferences, Oldonyiro has emerged as a space where leadership feels grounded, debates are meaningful, and progress is visible. For ordinary residents, it is proof that when leaders choose unity and responsibility over division, laws can be passed that actually change lives.