Governors accuse State of plotting to sabotage Kwale devolution meeting

By GEOFFREY MOSOKU and ROSELYNE OBALA

Mombasa, Kenya: Controversy has erupted over the devolution conference that opens on Wednesday in Kwale, with governors alleging behind-the-scenes efforts by the Jubilee Government to sabotage the convention.

Senior Jubilee MPs, who spoke to The Standard on Sunday on condition of anonymity because they do not wish to be seen to be fighting devolution, appeared to confirm the governors’ fears.

“The Leader of Majority Aden Duale and Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso will not be part of the Kwale meeting, and the same may be true of the Senate leadership,” a very senior member of the National Assembly told The Standard on Sunday.

A member of the Senate leadership also told The Standard that senators who met in Mombasa over the weekend, resolved to give the devolution meeting a wide berth, ostensibly because they were miffed that the Council of Governors did not involve them in its planning. 

“We agreed no single senator will attend the Kwale conference as the Council of Governors lacks the mandate to organise a conference of such magnitude without involving the Senate, which should have been co-opted into the planning team for the conference,” said the Senator.

He added: “The theme of the conference lacks clear objectives and achievements in devolution. Key Senate leadership members who include Bonny Khalwale (Designated Chairman PAC), Kipchumba Murkomen (Chairman Devolution), Kithure Kindiki (Majority Leader), Charles Keter (Deputy Majority Leader), Moses Wetang’ula (Minority Leader) and Abdurahaman Hassan (Deputy Minority Leader) are not in good books with Isaac Ruto and that’s why they have been sidelined.”

Boycott the conference

The senator also claimed the Speaker’s Council was not given a meaningful representation and so neither Muturi nor Ethuro would grace the event.

Governors accused the National Government of plotting to sabotage the meeting, claiming it is part of a scheme to derail devolution.

They cited a meeting President Kenyatta and his deputy held at State House at the weekend with a section of county government representatives.

A county speaker who attended the State House meeting later circulated text messages to Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), asking them to boycott the conference.

Yesterday, the Chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto alleged attempts to persuade MCAs to boycott the conference.

“We understand they (Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto) were with a number of MCAs and the intention was to persuade them from attending the conference. The two are on course to fight devolution,” claimed Ruto, who is also the Bomet Governor. He accused the President and deputy of trying to create a rift between governors and MCAs.

But yesterday Mr Munyori Buku, the director of Media and External Relations at Sate House, said Uhuru met the MCAs to discuss their welfare and strongly dismissed claims of the President sabotaging the conference.

“The President has a right to meet any citizen and it is in that capacity that he met the County Assemblies Forum and Isaac Ruto cannot purport to be a gatekeeper of who and when the President meets MCAs. It was clear that the agenda was their welfare and any other insinuations are from a person who clearly does not know his back or front,” Munyori said. 

Deputy President Willam Ruto’s spokesman, Mr David Mugonyi, also dismissed the claims by the Bomet Governor. Mugonyi explained that the governors organised the conference and neither the President nor his deputy had any intention of sabotaging the convention.

“Isaac Ruto is now becoming an irritant. He should serve his people and stop politicking all the time. This is a meeting organised by governors.  How do the President and his deputy come in?” Mugonyi asked.

Sent texts

The President met nine MCAs and nine county speakers at State House on Saturday under the umbrella of the County Assemblies Forum. Deputy President Ruto and Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru were present at the meeting. The Vice Chairperson and Secretary General of the forum, Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Albert Kochei (Elgeyo Marakwet) respectively, led the group to State House. The group had convened at the Serena hotel in the morning before heading to State House, The Standard established.

After the Saturday meeting, Kochei sent texts to his colleagues. The message read: “This morning County Assemblies Forum (CAF) had a meeting with the President and DP at State House and the agenda was members’ welfare issues. The President has promised to revert to us within two weeks. Assemblies will be meeting with the President and MCAs within two weeks and therefore it’s advisable not to attend the Kwale meeting.”

Nyamira County Assembly Majority Leader Beauttah Omanga, who attended the State House meeting, denied that they were being used to fight governors.

But Omanga confirmed that Uhuru had asked them to co-operate with the national government to tame rogue governors who are embezzling public funds.

“We attended the meetings as representatives from the former provincial regions and our meeting was a follow up of what the President pledged in Mombasa on grants and better pay. The President told us it was up to individual MCAs to decide on attending, but he asked us to be wary if the event adds no value to the people we represent.”

Omanga added: “Isaac Ruto should respect MCAs whom he has always dismissed as lynch mobs. He wants to use our numbers to fight his wars. As MCAs we are not at war with Uhuru’s government given he respects us and our roles.”

It is unclear if Uhuru and Ruto who have been invited to the conference will attend. Uhuru is set to travel to Brussels, Belgium to attend an African Union-European Union meeting.

The attendance of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi who is away in South Korea and his Senate counterpart Ekwe Ethuro is also in doubt.