The Council of Governors has grown horns
What you need to know:
- The Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya, the predecessor to the Council of Governors, had successfully turned elections into a democratic sport, complete with hide-and-seek interludes involving overnight treats in remote resorts for voters.
- The Council of Governors decision to use consensus to defeat democracy in its recent election of office bearers points to future delusions about constituting itself into an electoral college for the presidency, where it might use consensus to pick one of their number to run, completely against the spirit of competition that gives full vent to the nation’s ethnic and other political polarities.
- Governors have continued to place themselves in a precarious political position because none of them has checked with their respective political party headquarters if their courses of action were in pursuit of the agenda to seize, use and retain power.
Just because governors can twice elect the chairman of their council without the aid of airborne furniture should not make them feel they have outgrown their breeches.
The Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya, the predecessor to the Council of Governors, had successfully turned elections into a democratic sport, complete with hide-and-seek interludes involving overnight treats in remote resorts for voters.
The Council of Governors decision to use consensus to defeat democracy in its recent election of office bearers points to future delusions about constituting itself into an electoral college for the presidency, where it might use consensus to pick one of their number to run, completely against the spirit of competition that gives full vent to the nation’s ethnic and other political polarities.
The personal chemistry between the 47 governors might mislead them into crafting a backroom deal that forces the electorate to examine their dismal performance as county chief executives.
Yet, the Council of Governors was not created to be a political party — it is not even a constitutional body. Created under the Inter-governmental Relations Act, the Council is a third-tier organ ranking below the National and County Government Co-ordinating Summit, headed by the President, and the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee.
Its purpose is to provide a forum for county governments to hold palavers, share information, consider matters of common interest, resolve disputes between them, and build the capacity of governors.
Adrift from its clean mandate, the Council of Governors has grown horns. Previously, it has suffered hallucinations of becoming a political force to be reckoned with when its leadership launched a campaign to increase cash allocations to the counties even when they were unable to account for the little they get.
Governors have continued to place themselves in a precarious political position because none of them has checked with their respective political party headquarters if their courses of action were in pursuit of the agenda to seize, use and retain power.
No wonder they have endless problems with impeachment attempts and audit queries from the Senate; corruption investigations from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission; and public demonstrations by angry residents.
In the past two years, the Council has unfairly overshadowed the Summit and the technical committee through noise and theatrics about money and power. As a result, there is endless friction between the national government and county governments — from health to security and more.
All this time, the national government has done all it can to avoid a confrontation – the Devolution Cabinet Secretary had studiously avoided visiting any governor in an attempt to eschew accusations of interference or lording it over people. The only images of her available on the Internet are of the CS with happy, working National Youth Service graduates clearing trenches.
The Council of Governors has paid this kindness back with misplaced aggression demanding more money, direct command over the Administration Police — and refusing to cooperate on health financing.
The replacement of Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, an inveterate choleric, with the phlegmatic Peter Munya of Meru, should signal a change in relations between the Council and the national government – or there might be need to explore ways of bringing back the lot under control as recently happened with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
