CORD Coalition Principals Raila Odinga (Centre) Kalonzo Musyoka (left)
and Moses Wetangula. Cord governors are facing a major dilemma in trying
to balance between their party and political loyalties and the
practical and legal reality that they form part of the Executive and
must work with the Jubilee Government.PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | FILE
Cord governors are facing a major
dilemma in trying to balance between their party and political loyalties
and the practical and legal reality that they form part of the
Executive and must work with the Jubilee Government.
Some
of those who have shed hard-line opposition politics to court the
National Executive are being demonised for being “too friendly” with
President Uhuru Kenyatta, while those who have shown fatigue in opposing
government have come under fire.
The branding is
usually a matter of concern in Nyanza where any symptoms of backsliding
from the regional political position and loyalty to the party of choice
are not taken lightly.
Yet, the job is a unique one
that calls for inter-governmental engagements, including occasional
direct interaction with the President.
Fearing backlash
from the electorate, some Cord governors told Sunday Nation they have
had to meet the President and his deputy secretly over the past few
months.
On Thursday, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (ODM)
joined the President at the launching of work on the standard gauge
railway line in Mombasa, and has had to play host several times due to
the unique positioning of his county.
The Mombasa
governor also had to miss a crucial investment conference in the US
organised by Mr Odinga a few months ago as well, to join Mr Kenyatta in
Uganda where the new tripartite East African railway plan was launched.
Two
weeks ago, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua (Wiper), hosted the President
at the launch of the new Machakos City which nearly all top government
officials attended.
Cord got 25 governors out of the
47 counties and Mr Odinga, in a move to stamp his authority, has been
organising major investment conferences abroad for selected governors
from the coalition to engage foreign investors.
At the
epicentre of this storm is Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero. Representing
the County that hosts the nation’s capital, he is in frequent
interaction with the President owing to that unique circumstance.
Dr
Kidero’s “political conduct” has caused jitters in ODM, with some of Mr
Odinga’s handlers criticising him for embracing Jubilee “with open
arms”.
Political sins
He caused a
storm when he named his Cabinet seven months ago, his decision to pick
Mr John Gakuo (TNA) at the expense of Cord loyalists.
“I
picked him because he is a professional and was a successful clerk at
the city council. I trust he is capable of handling the environment
docket,” the governor says in defence of his decision.
Another
perceived political sin committed by Dr Kidero was his high profile
hosting of President Kenyatta at his Muthaiga home for dinner last May.
He defended that as a friendly visit from a personal friend.
“Yes, I hosted the President at home but my personal life is separate. I have got friends from all regions and communities.”
Party loyalists now perceive Dr Kidero’s attempts to forge good rapport with the government as rebellion against their leader.
In
retrospect, Dr Kidero now finds himself very welcome in most State
offices, including State House. “Once a governor is elected and forms a
government, s/he must act in the interest of the county; political
affiliation should not arise,” Dr Kidero says.
The
blossoming nature of his relationship with the President and Deputy
President William Ruto was in play in Nyanza last month when he carried a
Sh500,000 donation from Mr Ruto to a funds drive in Awendo where he
helped raise Sh15 million in aid of Tom Mboya Mixed Secondary.
And
Mr Odinga was in the area a day after Dr Kidero’s function, where he
addressed several roadside rallies before presiding over the homecoming
ceremony of Suna East MP Junet Mohamed. Sunday Nation has established
that the ODM leader defied attempts to persuade him to cancel the event
to avoid being seen as confronting Dr Kidero.
Migori Govenor Okoth Obado, who has been isolated by some of the local MPs, gave the function in his jurisdiction a wide berth.
“Our
people must evaluate between continuous rhetoric, politics and rumour.
Governors should be allowed to freely engage the national Executive to
ensure counties do not lag in development,” Dr Obado said Saturday.
At the same time, Dr Kidero has denied reports that he is not on talking terms with Mr Odinga.
“Mr
Odinga and I get along very well. Last week I spoke to him three times.
All this hullaballoo about friction between me and him are creations of
the media.”
Homa Bay County Governor, Cyprian Awiti has appealed for a free hand to work with the government.
“For
us, working closely with the national government is inevitable. County
governments cannot work in isolation, and it would be sad to read too
much into our relationship with government,” he stated.
Mr
Awiti said most opposition governors fear being sabotaged by some
national government officials if they keep political rigidity at the
expense of their development agenda which requires government support.
The
governor is among several Nyanza leaders who, last weekend, attended an
event presided over by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta in Siaya and
pleaded for government support to eliminate deep rooted poverty in the
region.
Mr Mutua argues that it may appear difficult to be a governor in opposition but it depends on how one explains it to the people.
“In
Machakos, people have accepted that elections are now over. We cannot
play politics all the time; even as counties are entitled to about 15
per cent of revenue from the National Treasury, we still require a share
of the remaining 85 per cent.”
.
.
His Kajiado
counterpart David ole Nkedienye (ODM) has had to fight sabotage after
his party managed two slots in the 41 member County Assembly.
LOYALTY TO PARTY
“If
I keep talking about my party, we won’t move forward,” he said. “We
have even hosted the President in Kajiado. These are things that must be
understood. My loyalty to my party is unchanged,” he explained.
In Kwale, Governor Mvurya Mgalla’s loyalty was questioned when he skipped a campaign rally attended by Mr Odinga.
The question of loyalty and the actual executive roles bestowed in the office of governor is a source of serious conflict.
Defying
the party may come with penalties at the end of one’s term as some
governors may still require the same party sponsorship to defend their
seats.
Kisumu Govenor Jack Ranguma says the whole
affair is a difficult issue, adding that while implementing his party’s
manifesto, he finds himself in a situation where he has to do the same
for the Jubilee manifesto.
“We cannot ignore the national government. When a president is elected, he leads a whole country, not sections of it.”
Mr
Kamotho Waiganjo of the Commission for the Implementation of the
Constitution (CIC) reasons that the office of the governor is a public
office and must administratively engage national government. “The
governor is a public officer and not some political chieftain. In
accomplishing the responsibilities of his office, he must work with the
national government.”
Former chairman of the Committee
of Experts Nzamba Kitonga says that governors must be seen as executives
who must execute intergovernmental relationships.
“The
governor, inevitably, must work together with the national government
not as a favour but as a legal requirement. Structures in counties are
linked to national ones,” Mr Kitonga said.
County governments also require certificates of clearance for foreign-funded investments from the national government.
“The
railway project, for instance, is a State matter. If Governor Joho was
being called for the opening of a TNA office in his county, that would
have been a different issue,” said Mr Kitonga.
The
county governments also require certificates of clearances for
foreign-funded investments they initiate while all revenue, including
that collected by counties, can only be accessed after clearance from
Nairobi.
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