12/11/2025
ENVY: THE SILENT DESTROYER OF POLITICAL DESTINY:
Envy, a dangerous ailment with no cure, has been the undoing of many promising figures in history. It eats away at the soul of its bearer, distorting ambition into destruction and turning allies into adversaries. In the political landscape of Isiolo County, one such tragic tale unfolds, that of Senator Fatuma Adan Dulo, a woman whose promising ascent was derailed by the venom of envy and political defiance.
Fatuma’s political journey began not with struggle, but with opportunity. She was elevated to national recognition through the influence and goodwill of Dr. Mohamed Abdi Kuti, a respected leader from the Sakuye community. In the intricate game of political alliances, Dr. Kuti negotiated for Fatuma’s nomination as Senator, a strategic move to consolidate Isiolo’s voter base during national elections. At the time, Fatuma’s appointment was seen as a symbol of unity and progress for the Sakuye.
However, the sweetness of elevation soon turned bitter. The once-protégé began to view her mentor not as a benefactor but as an obstacle. Consumed by ambition, she sought to uproot Dr. Kuti from his political throne. Her first attempt came subtly, by persuading the seasoned leader to retire, paving the way for her to take over Sakuye leadership. Yet, the community stood firm behind Dr. Kuti, who went on to win the Isiolo governorship decisively.
Defying her community’s counsel, Fatuma contested for the Senate seat in the 2017 elections and won. What should have been a moment of pride became the seedbed of rivalry. From that point, she seemed determined to dismantle the very foundation that had nurtured her. From the Senate floor to public rallies, and even through the media, she launched relentless attacks on Governor Kuti, a campaign that ultimately drove the veteran politician into early retirement.
But the tragedy of envy is that it never knows satisfaction. Even after Kuti’s exit, Fatuma’s focus shifted to the new Governor, Hon. Abdi Ibrahim Hassan Guyo, who succeeded Dr. Kuti in 2022. Despite being part of the same political lineup, Senator Dulo turned her arsenal against him with renewed vigor. Her ambition, cloaked in rhetoric of reform, soon revealed a darker intent, to topple yet another leader from within her own political circle.
By mid-2025, Fatuma had mobilized a faction of disgruntled leaders from within and the neighbouring Counties, including the then Speaker and 16 out of 18 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), a Governor and a Senator from neighbourhoods and other rivals of the Governor, orchestrating what was effectively a coup against Governor Guyo. Promising wealth and influence, she convinced the MCAs and more, that an impeachment would mark the Governor’s political end. However, the plot collapsed prematurely, the impeachment motion failed to meet constitutional and procedural thresholds, crumbling before it reached the Senate’s decisive stage.
Rather than retreat, Fatuma escalated her rebellion. She declared that anarchy had gripped Isiolo, claiming threats to her life and that of her allies. Anarchy, she and her co-conspirators indeed unleashed. What followed was a wave of unrest, mobs stormed the County Assembly compound, property was destroyed, and supporters of the Governor were harassed and intimidated. Amidst the chaos, Governor Abdi Guyo displayed restraint, urging his followers to maintain peace and instead extended an olive branch to all parties.
This gesture of reconciliation marked the beginning of Fatuma’s downfall. As the Governor rebuilt his alliances, regaining the loyalty of 13 out of 18 MCAs, the Senator found herself increasingly isolated. Her network of conspirators crumbled, her influence waned, and the political fortress she had once sought to conquer stood taller than ever.
Today, Senator Fatuma Adan Dulo faces the bleak aftermath of envy’s grip, politically wounded, socially alienated, and stripped of the trust of her own Sakuye community. What began as ambition ended in self-destruction. The very traits that could have cemented her legacy, determination, courage, and intellect, were overshadowed by bitterness and betrayal.
Her story stands as a cautionary tale in the volatile world of politics: that envy, once it takes root, spares no soul, it blinds judgment, poisons relationships, and ultimately devours the dreams of its host.
Only time will tell whether Senator Fatuma can rebuild from the ashes of her own making, but one thing remains certain, envy has already written a haunting chapter in the political history of Isiolo.