The number of governors who want to be senators once their terms end in August continues to rise, with strong indications the House could be a safe landing ground for outgoing county chiefs. 

The latest to declare interest in the Senate is Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, who said he will vie for the county’s seat.

He joins a growing list of colleagues who are salivating for a role in the House after the next elections.

Others who are actively campaigning for election as senators are Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo-Marakwet), Samuel Tunai (Narok) and Martin Wambora (Embu).

More are expected to declare their intentions before the end of this month. 

Tolgos revealed that governors, who are serving their last term, had agreed to run for Senate following fears that those who have been in the House since its inception in 2013 did not understand the challenges facing devolution. He said the decision had been approved by the Council of Governors chaired by Wambora. 

“The past 10 years, devolution has not been easy. We have had several challenges and, at the Council of Governors, we have agreed among ourselves, especially the second term governors, that for us to ensure that devolution works we need some of us to be at the Senate where devolution is being protected. A number of senators who are currently serving do not even understand what is happening at the counties,” said Tolgos. 

Their intention to join the Senate is, however, attracting growing criticism, with opponents raising concern on how the county bosses will audit themselves once in the House as they will come in contact multiple times with audit reports covering their tenures in office.

Some might even be elected to chair the powerful County Public Accounts and Investment Committee that interrogates audit reports on counties prepared every financial year by the Auditor General.

 Former Nyamira Senator Kennedy Okong’o Mong’are, who once served as chairperson of the committee in its inaugural term, said it was morally wrong for governors to vie for Senate yet they will come in contact with reports about the administrations they oversaw.

“It is a moral issue. Those second term governors jumping to the Senate are not doing so with clean hearts. They have stolen from the counties and now want to cover up their sins in the Senate,” Monga’re told ‘People Daily’. 

He urged voters not to elect them, and called for a law that will bar them from seeking the seats. “There was massive looting in the counties between 2013 and 2015 when they were receiving 100 percent allocation from the Treasury. That is when lots of money was lost. There should be a law barring them for at least five years before they could run for office again,” said the former senator. 

Despite this concern, however, the governors are promoting their two terms in office as their strong points, saying they know the strengths and weaknesses of devolution and would use their positions in the Senate to further protect it. 

They are also selling the wide networks they have cultivated in the past 10 years to voters, saying they will ensure investors they have befriended continue to pump money into the devolved units. 

“People have asked me to vie for the Senate and I have said ‘it is okay, I will go for it’. It is a seat that fits me as well,” said Kibwana, who is expected to vie on his Muungano Party, which has joined Azimio la Umoja movement led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

 He said he had a wide network of investors he will continue working with to ensure the county continued to develop under the incoming regime. 

“I can help to promote and safeguard devolution. I can be of help in the Senate in protecting devolution anywhere in the country and I’m not bragging about it. I have a wide network with investors and I can bring them to the governor because right now we have many investors working with us. I can also bring more resources from the national government. 

In Uasin Gishu, Mandago, whose bid is facing fierce opposition from local leaders and competitors, is urging residents to give him an opportunity to serve in the House.

He said he was the most-qualified, having served for two terms as governor, and claiming he knew what ails the county and would make sure he gets proper treatment for it once in the Senate. 

“We have done what we could because of the little resources we got. But we will get more resources for the next governor. There is lots of money held in Nairobi; we just do not have a senator to push for it to be released. They have just been voting Yes, Yes, but there is no money coming to the counties,” the governor said.

Some of the leaders in Uasin Gishu, led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, have been against Mandago’s candidature, questioning how he would oversee the auditing of projects he initiated during his term. 

Mandago has responded saying nothing bars him from vying for a seat other than the governorship. He has challenged his competitors for a contest during the UDA nominations next month. 

“Senate is a national seat.  I want to go there and push for more money because I know what ails this county. This seat belongs to those who have a wide network, those who can look for resources and bring lots of resources to the county. I’m not that light, I have a wide network,” said the governor who will face off with lawyer Kipchumba Karori and radio presenter Robert Kemei for the UDA ticket. 

Tolgos has asked his opponent, incumbent Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, to prepare for a tough battle.

Murkomen, however, said recently he did not anticipate any fierce challenge from Tolgos or former Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, who is running for the seat again after his loss in 2017.

Wambora said he was under pressure from locals to go for the Senate seat after an eventful ten-year term that saw him survive multiple attempts to impeach him by the same House he is planning to be part of. “I have met with various grassroots leaders and they said they will support my senatorial bid,” said Wambora who will vie on his Umoja na Maendeleo party. 

In Narok, Tunai has teamed up with former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu, whom he is supporting to succeed him, as he vies for Senate.

  by Jeremiah Kiplang’at

 @jere_kiplangat

The number of governors who want to be senators once their terms end in August continues to rise, with strong indications the House could be a safe landing ground for outgoing county chiefs. 

The latest to declare interest in the Senate is Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, who said he will vie for the county’s seat. He joins a growing list of colleagues who are salivating for a role in the House after the next elections.

Others who are actively campaigning for election as senators are Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo-Marakwet), Samuel Tunai (Narok) and Martin Wambora (Embu).

More are expected to declare their intentions before the end of this month. 

Tolgos revealed that governors, who are serving their last term, had agreed to run for Senate following fears that those who have been in the House since its inception in 2013 did not understand the challenges facing devolution. He said the decision had been approved by the Council of Governors chaired by Wambora. 

“The past 10 years, devolution has not been easy. We have had several challenges and, at the Council of Governors, we have agreed among ourselves, especially the second term governors, that for us to ensure that devolution works we need some of us to be at the Senate where devolution is being protected. A number of senators who are currently serving do not even understand what is happening at the counties,” said Tolgos. 

Their intention to join the Senate is, however, attracting growing criticism, with opponents raising concern on how the county bosses will audit themselves once in the House as they will come in contact multiple times with audit reports covering their tenures in office.

Some might even be elected to chair the powerful County Public Accounts and Investment Committee that interrogates audit reports on counties prepared every financial year by the Auditor General.

 Former Nyamira Senator Kennedy Okong’o Mong’are, who once served as chairperson of the committee in its inaugural term, said it was morally wrong for governors to vie for Senate yet they will come in contact with reports about the administrations they oversaw.

“It is a moral issue. Those second term governors jumping to the Senate are not doing so with clean hearts. They have stolen from the counties and now want to cover up their sins in the Senate,” Monga’re told ‘People Daily’. 

He urged voters not to elect them, and called for a law that will bar them from seeking the seats. “There was massive looting in the counties between 2013 and 2015 when they were receiving 100 percent allocation from the Treasury. That is when lots of money was lost. There should be a law barring them for at least five years before they could run for office again,” said the former senator. 

Despite this concern, however, the governors are promoting their two terms in office as their strong points, saying they know the strengths and weaknesses of devolution and would use their positions in the Senate to further protect it. 

They are also selling the wide networks they have cultivated in the past 10 years to voters, saying they will ensure investors they have befriended continue to pump money into the devolved units. 

“People have asked me to vie for the Senate and I have said ‘it is okay, I will go for it’. It is a seat that fits me as well,” said Kibwana, who is expected to vie on his Muungano Party, which has joined Azimio la Umoja movement led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

 He said he had a wide network of investors he will continue working with to ensure the county continued to develop under the incoming regime. 

“I can help to promote and safeguard devolution. I can be of help in the Senate in protecting devolution anywhere in the country and I’m not bragging about it. I have a wide network with investors and I can bring them to the governor because right now we have many investors working with us. I can also bring more resources from the national government. 

In Uasin Gishu, Mandago, whose bid is facing fierce opposition from local leaders and competitors, is urging residents to give him an opportunity to serve in the House.

He said he was the most-qualified, having served for two terms as governor, and claiming he knew what ails the county and would make sure he gets proper treatment for it once in the Senate. 

“We have done what we could because of the little resources we got. But we will get more resources for the next governor. There is lots of money held in Nairobi; we just do not have a senator to push for it to be released. They have just been voting Yes, Yes, but there is no money coming to the counties,” the governor said.

Some of the leaders in Uasin Gishu, led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, have been against Mandago’s candidature, questioning how he would oversee the auditing of projects he initiated during his term. 

Mandago has responded saying nothing bars him from vying for a seat other than the governorship. He has challenged his competitors for a contest during the UDA nominations next month. 

“Senate is a national seat.  I want to go there and push for more money because I know what ails this county. This seat belongs to those who have a wide network, those who can look for resources and bring lots of resources to the county. I’m not that light, I have a wide network,” said the governor who will face off with lawyer Kipchumba Karori and radio presenter Robert Kemei for the UDA ticket. 

Tolgos has asked his opponent, incumbent Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, to prepare for a tough battle.

Murkomen, however, said recently he did not anticipate any fierce challenge from Tolgos or former Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, who is running for the seat again after his loss in 2017.

Wambora said he was under pressure from locals to go for the Senate seat after an eventful ten-year term that saw him survive multiple attempts to impeach him by the same House he is planning to be part of. “I have met with various grassroots leaders and they said they will support my senatorial bid,” said Wambora who will vie on his Umoja na Maendeleo party. 

In Narok, Tunai has teamed up with former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu, whom he is supporting to succeed him, as he vies for Senate.