Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi was yesterday elected chairperson of the Council of Governors, replacing his Kirinyaga counterpart Anne Waiguru, whose tenure ended after serving two terms.
In an election held in Nairobi, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga was chosen as Abdullahi’s vice chairperson.
Five county chiefs had jostled for the position – Abdullahi, Kahiga, Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado), and Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi).
The election process, which took over five hours, involved several key considerations. A primary factor was the number of times a contestant had participated in CoG’s previous meetings.
Regional balance was also a criterion, to avoid the seat returning to the same region consecutively. This factor was reported to have worked for Abdullahi, given that he comes from one of the counties that had not produced a CoG leader.
Significant strides
Delivering her last State of Devolution address, Waiguru said counties made significant strides in several sectors in the past year including health, education, tourism and energy.
“We have managed to do a lot of work but there is a lot [more] that needs to be done,” she said.
“The biggest challenge has been disbursement of funds. We hope that going forward, money will be disbursed on time to avoid a situation where services will be paralysed.”
Waiguru lamented that the National Treasury did not disburse the full Sh 385.4 billion to counties as their expected equitable share allocation for 2023/2024 but only Sh 354.6 billion.
The targeted Sh46.36 billion, classified as additional allocations from the national government and development partners, was not met, with counties receiving only Sh 29.07 billion.
“Today, I presented my final State of Devolution address as chair of the Council of Governors, where we highlighted the significant progress made by counties in diverse high-impact areas across Kenya,” she said.
Women leaders
“From improvements in healthcare infrastructure and workforce to the remarkable strides in education, agriculture, and SME growth, our counties have continued to empower communities and deliver on the devolution promise.
“I am also proud to have pioneered the G7 strategy to promote women governors and expand women’s leadership across Kenya.”
For his part, newly elected chair Abdullahi vowed to continue working closely with the national government to ensure devolution works smoothly.
“I stand here with a clear vision for the council — a vision that emphasises unity, collaboration, and inclusivity.
“Together, we can tackle the challenges we face and seize the opportunities that lie ahead. It is essential that we work hand in hand, leveraging our diverse perspectives and strengths to create a brighter future for all Kenyans.”
The Judiciary will play a critical role in nurturing and safeguarding the promise of devolution, said Chief Justice Martha Koome.
“Over the past 12 years, county governments have made a transformative impact on governance, service delivery, and development across Kenya,” she said.
“They have become indispensable in promoting equitable growth, fostering local governance, and improving access to services such as healthcare, water, early childhood and vocational education, among other services.”
CoG leaders are usually elected by consensus, but governors failed to agree on who would take over. This prompted the ballot process that ended with Abdullahi emerging winner.
The Wajir governor will now take over as leader of CoG, a non-partisan organisation established under Sec.19 of the (IGRA 2012) comprising the governors of the 47 counties, and will be expected to champion the interests of the regions.
He will also champion timely resource allocation to counties and oversee the promotion of visionary leadership, sharing best governance practices, and offering a collective voice on policy issues on the performance of county governments.
