Former Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa has stated that he intervened to persuade Trans Nzoia Deputy Governor Philomena Kapkory not to resign from her position after she fell out with her county boss, Governor George Natembeya.

While speaking during a funeral service in Trans Nzoia on Saturday, October 11, 2025, Wamalwa revealed that the deputy governor had once confided in him about the frustrations she was facing just months after assuming office alongside the governor, saying she was on the verge of resigning.

Wamalwa, who unsuccessfully contested for the Trans Nzoia gubernatorial seat in 2022, said he stepped in and convinced the deputy governor not to quit, reminding her that both she and the governor were elected on the same ticket and that neither had the right to push the other out of office.

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He further advised her not to be intimidated by anyone.

“Our dear Deputy Governor is my close friend. The last time we met in Nairobi after a church service, she was very frustrated and wanted to resign as deputy governor. I told her no, you were elected on the same ticket as the governor, so don’t resign, and nobody should threaten you. I thank God she did not resign,” Wamalwa said.

Wamalwa went on to add that Kapkory had also considered taking up a job in the national government.

“I know she also wanted a job in the national government, and I believe President Ruto has good plans for her,” he added.

Natembeya-Kapkory feud

This comes days after the feud between Governor Natembeya and his deputy escalated to unimaginable levels, leading to the intervention of the Senate Committee on Devolution and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) to help broker a truce between the two.

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However, to date, they still do not see eye to eye.

Cherargei’s concerns

These come days after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei voiced the plight of deputy governors.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Cherargei said that in most counties, deputy governors are treated as “flower girls and boys”, with little to no official duties assigned to them.

Cherargei added that some deputy governors are denied basic entitlements such as vehicles and fuel.

The senator urged county chiefs to emulate the national government, where the president delegates key responsibilities to the deputy president, including chairing intergovernmental committees and cabinet subcommittees.

“They should be assigned responsibilities, even in the case of the deputy president. You remember the executive order that was issued by the president to give powers to the deputy president’s office, including IBEC and other chairing subcommittees of the cabinet,” Cherargei stated.