Fight hard, Munya told after winning top seat

Outgoing Council of Governors (CoG) chairman Isaac Ruto (Right) handing over office to Meru Governor Peter Munya at Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi on May 21, 2015. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mr Oparanya allowed consensus to prevail after he was offered the chairmanship of the Finance Committee, while Marsabit governor Ukur Yattani became the governors’ whip.
• The Jubilee governor had won the support of the majority of the influential governors, including his Bomet colleague, and several opposition leaders who saw him as the best successor to Mr Ruto, whose fighting style has elevated the profile of the important devolution organ.
• Mr Munya, who has been the chairman of the councils’ legal committee, urged the national government to speed up the transfer of all functions that need to be moved to the counties as a matter of priority

By ISAAC ONGIRI
More by this Author

Firebrand Meru Governor Peter Munya was on Thursday elected chairman of the powerful Council of Governors after protracted lobbying that took several hours before his two rivals stepped down.

The Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) governor took over from his Bomet counterpart, Mr Isaac Ruto, after his opponents, Mr Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Mr Salim Mvurya (Kwale) agreed to step down.

Mr Mvurya bowed out of the race after the governors agreed to unanimously retain him as Vice Chairman.

Mr Oparanya allowed consensus to prevail after he was offered the chairmanship of the Finance Committee, while Marsabit governor Ukur Yattani became the governors’ whip.

The 47 governors had retreated to a restaurant at the Chaka Plaza in Hurlingham where the deal to have Mr Munya elected chairman was agreed on. They also shared several other key committee positions during the retreat.

The Jubilee governor had won the support of the majority of the influential governors, including his Bomet colleague, and several opposition leaders who saw him as the best successor to Mr Ruto, whose fighting style has elevated the profile of the important devolution organ.

“Today I accept with humility the confidence the council has dedicated in electing me to this important position,” said Mr Munya when he delivered his acceptance speech at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Nairobi.

KEEP UP THE SPIRIT

He promised to champion the interest of the council just like his predecessor did, sometimes even putting his political life on the line by crossing his party, URP, and the Jubilee Coalition.

Mr Ruto, while giving his departure speech at the colourful event attended by several dignitaries including Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and US ambassador Robert Godec, urged Mr Munya to keep up the spirit, warning that he will have nowhere to hide if he lowered the profile of the council during his tenure.

“I want to tell our new chairman that you must maintain or increase the pace. You are not allowed to reduce the pace,” he said.

The Meru governor, like his predecessor, has dismissed calls to join President Uhuru Kenyatta’s and Mr Ruto’s new Jubilee Alliance Party, and is likely to find himself on a collision course with the government over the ‘Pesa Mashinani’ referendum drive which he must steer.

Said Mr Munya: “We all know the underlying values and beliefs of the council. We will carry on as the outgoing officials have done.” He further promised to follow Mr Ruto’s footsteps as a champion of democracy: “I pay tribute to Isaac Ruto who has laid the foundation for the council.”

Mr Munya, who has been the chairman of the councils’ legal committee, urged the national government to speed up the transfer of all functions that need to be moved to the counties as a matter of priority.

PESA MASHINANI STILL ON

“Resources meant to maintain all roads are being managed by the national government and Members of Parliament at the exclusion of county governments. You can delay the transfer of functions but you cannot refuse to transfer them,” he told the meeting.

Mr Ruto, the outgoing chairman, said he was satisfied with services he delivered, and maintained that his support for the council’s ‘Pesa Mashinani’ referendum campaign will continue.

He, however, said that the council faced various challenges, including a battle to ensure State Corporations that still held functions meant to be devolved are wound up.

Said Mr Ruto: ”As I hand over I am convinced that the new chairman will continue to champion our interest so that we can achieve our mission as devolved governments.”

He handed over various laws which he described as “pieces of legislation that continue to negate devolution” among other instruments of power in the council.

When invited to address his colleagues Mr Mvurya captured the initial sense of competition that dominated process.

“As a candidate who was running for chairman I had a different speech ready but now things are different,” he said.

Mr Justice Mutunga, who was the chief guest, urged governors to ensure they do everything within their reach to have devolution succeed by eradicating corruption and other challenges.

“You have to make devolution work. Devolution is the embodiment of hope in our country,” he said.

The CJ urged the governors not to underestimate the public appetite for delivery of services through the devolved units.

He said that the Judiciary will be posting judges to all the 47 counties where it intends to set up High Court benches to enhance arbitration on devolution issues and other disputes.