He contested against Kahiga, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has been named as the new chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG) replacing Kirinyaga counterpart Anne Waiguru whose tenure ended after serving for two terms.
Abdullahi won the election at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, where Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga was elected as his Vice Chairperson. The county bosses converged at the hotel in Nairobi on Monday, October 7, for the elections.
He contested against Kahiga, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
New Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdulahi when he appeared before the Senate Finance and Budget Committee on September 5, 2024. /FACEBOOK
After the declaration, Waiguru is expected to hold her last State of the Nation address at the same venue and hand over the mantle.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is also expected to attend the welcoming ceremony and the installation of the Wajir County Chief as the chairperson of the Governor’s Council.
The election process, which took over five hours, involved several key considerations before any of the chiefs could be elected to the position. A primary factor was the number of times a contestant had participated in the Council’s previous meetings.
The process also aimed to ensure regional balance in electing Kenya’s next CoG chairperson, to avoid the seat returning to the same region consecutively. This is reported to have worked for Abdulahi given that he is coming from one of the counties that has not had its leaders lead the Council.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njoki will continue to serve as the chairperson of the CoG’s Health Committee and is expected to be a key figure in the rollout of Kenya’s universal health coverage strategies as the national government continues to urge transition to the new Social Health Insurance Fund(SHIF).
The Council of County Governors (COG) is a non-partisan organization established under Section 19 of the Intergovernmental Relations Act (IGRA 2012). It comprises of the Governors of the forty-seven Counties. main functions are the promotion of visionary leadership; sharing of best practices and offering a collective voice on policy issues, among other matters.
Waiguru was previously the Devolution Cabinet Secretary (CS) before she was elected Kirinyaga Governor for the first term. She was also a CoG vice chairperson.
Before her double tenure, previous CoG chairpersons in Kenya’s history were Bomet’s Isaac Ruto (2013-2015), Meru’s Peter Munya (2015-2017), Turkana’s Josphat Nanok (2017-2019), Kakamega’s Wycliffe Oparanya (2019-2021) and Embu’s Martin Wambora (2021-2022).
Since winning her first term, she has been at loggerheads with the National Government and the Senate regarding devolved funds advanced to the counties. Waiguru also served as the Council’s first female vice chairperson from December 2017 to January 2019.
In addition, the Council elections saw Nyeri’s Mutahi Kahiga take over leadership of the CoG Human Resource Committee from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru. /BUSINESS TODAY
