They all want to be governor when they grow up

What you need to know:

  • While MPs have awesome legislative and oversight power, the Senate is a weak institution, struggling to find its place in Kenya’s new governance structure.
  • Three years on, MPs and Senators have decided to either live in the shadow of the power of governors or become governors themselves after the next General Election.
  • Governors can win over ordinary people if their policies lead to the growth of small businesses, agriculture and agri-businesses and, therefore, create wealth and jobs and improve household economies.

You saw them in Kisumu, didn’t you? Listen, graft allegations notwithstanding; censure from Parliament aside and, ignoring threats of impeachment by Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), this is for certain: after the President and Deputy President, the most coveted elective job in Kenya today is that of governor.

Why? Because compared to governors, Senators and MPs come across to the public as agitators. Governors run governments and have power. Governors have the power to hire Cabinets, which gives them latitude in placing their point men in strategic places and positions, usually with an eye on the next General Election. Senators and MPs do not have such power.

While MPs have awesome legislative and oversight power, the Senate is a weak institution, struggling to find its place in Kenya’s new governance structure. And, legislative and oversight powers are not easy to translate into palpable strength on the political stump.

Governors have control of budgets that run into billions of shillings. That gives them enviable leverage in approval of development and infrastructural projects, their location, size and timing and in awarding of big and lucrative tenders. Governors can change the economic landscapes of their counties and with them their politics.

In terms of territory, governors and senators have expansive constituencies and massive electorates because they are voted in by entire counties. But where governors will be judged on tangible benefits enjoyed by their electors, legislative and oversight delivery by the Senate is not easy to sell as a vote-getter.

DRIVERS OF DEVOLUTION

Governors can win over ordinary people if their policies lead to the growth of small businesses, agriculture and agri-businesses and, therefore, create wealth and jobs and improve household economies. This way, governors are, indeed, the drivers of devolution whose core objective is improving the economic lot of ordinary Kenyans.

If governors are transformative and successful, their constituents will access services swiftly and conveniently. And, crucially, county economies will grow. When that happens, ordinary Kenyans may forget there is a national government in Nairobi. It follows that if governors win the trust of Kenyans their Council of Governors could easily become Kenya’s most powerful political lobby.

Conversely, if ordinary people will have attention and time mostly for county governments because of efficient delivery of services, governors may seek new challenges, especially during the last two years of their second terms. Success brews and builds ambition, which means go-getting governors will at this time have their sights on the presidency.

Little wonder, two years into the new dispensation politicians are assessing their positions and making decisions about their future. First out of the gates was Nairobi Senator Gideon Mbuvi Sonko. It is not clear yet what he wants to do with the governor’s job even as he provides Nairobians with free ambulance, wedding, funeral and clean-up services.

But here is why Funyula MP Paul Otuoma wants to gun for the Busia governor’s seat come the next General Election: “In addition to the port potential as a link to the Great Lakes region and Central Africa, Busia County has a huge capacity for cement production, organic fertiliser manufacture and large-scale cassava and sugar production.”

None is on, says Dr Otuoma, because of a county leadership so steeped in wrangling it miserably fails to prioritise and focus development agenda. So Dr Otuoma will seek to transition from MP to governor in order to realise his dream for Busia. Why did he not have this county vision in 2012?

It is safe to argue that at the time, most politicians, outgoing MPs included, had not figured out what it meant to be an MP, senator, governor or even MCA in the new dispensation.

Three years on, MPs and Senators have decided to either live in the shadow of the power of governors or become governors themselves after the next General Election.

I can also bet that come 2022, a governor will be in the race for president and in future successful governors of Nairobi will always fancy a presidential run. Such a candidate will run on his record as governor which, he will argue, justifies his claim to national leadership and points to the kind of governance he is offering Kenyans.

Yes, MPs and senators want to be governors when they grow up. Therefore, governors will always be in the crosshairs of MPs, senators, MCAs, President, Deputy President and their tenderpreneur friends. So, good people, I was dead wrong; the governor’s job is political any time and all the time.

Opanga is a media consultant; [email protected]