The Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) has settled on Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru as its candidate for Council of Governors (CoG) chairperson as it seeks to take control of the last bastion in its war of domination with Azimio la Umoja One Kenya.
The Council's elections are planned for next weekend but they will be preceded by an induction workshop of the 47 governors which starts Tuesday, September 13, and runs through to Saturday in Mombasa.
Sources within Kenya Kwanza told The Standard that the governor has been endorsed by the leadership a move that places her ahead of the pack in the race to become CoG chairperson.
Kenya Kwanza's decision to whip its members to vote for Ms Waiguru has broken the tradition that has seen the Council conduct its elections in a bipartisan manner.
The CoG chairperson is considered a national face of the 47 governors who are tasked with the mandate of implementing devolved functions.
The chairperson is also the link between the national and county governments, the more reason why the Council should steer from sectarianism in conducting its affairs.
"You can call it a unanimous decision of the alliance. But it is more of an order from the top that requires any Kenya Kwanza governor to give way to Waiguru," said the source, who is well versed in the happenings in President-elect William Ruto's Alliance.
Governors in the alliance who had an interest in the seat have been ordered to shelve their ambition and support Waiguru instead.
Kenya Kwanza which has majority members in the Council, has decided to surrender the position of deputy chair to the Azimio in the hope that it will nurture the spirit of non-partisans in running the affairs of the council.
However, Wajir Governor Abdulahi Ahmed (ODM) who is also interested in the chairperson post, said the council has always made decisions through consensus and declared that political partisanship has no place in the management of its affairs.
"Any of the 47 governors can lead the council. Political party positions have no place in choosing the CoG leader," said Ahmed, adding the decision of who becomes the chair should be considered a competitive contest that will take political party lines.
Governor Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma) was forced to opt out of the CoG chairperson race to boost Kenya Kwanza's chances of clinching the seat.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is angling to become the Council's whip.
A source said Dr Lusaka withdrew from the race on Friday after he was prevailed upon by the top leadership to step down for Waiguru.
However, the Bungoma governor denied that he had been ordered to withdraw from the race. "I had the ambition to go for the seat but I have withdrawn for strategic reasons," he said, revealing that he could go for the seat in the future.
Dr Lusaka, who is the immediate former Senate Speaker declined to say whether he will be at hand to deputise the Kirinyaga governor should Azimio span the request, only stating that he will make such a decision at the right time.
Besides Ahmed, Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku is the other Azimio governor in the race.
Mr Lenku, through his spokesman Billy Muiruri, said he is in the race. "He is talking with governors from across the political divide and he is sure to get their support," said Mr Muiruri, pointing out that Lenku has experience in intergovernmental relations.
"As a second-term governor, he is a senior. He has also acquired a lot of experience in intergovernmental relations," he added.
Lenku had a brief stint in the national government, where he served as Interior Cabinet Secretary in President Uhuru Kenyatta's first term. He expects to convince his colleagues that being a second-term governor, he best suited to take up the post.
"The pastoralist community has nobody at the senior level of government and he believes that he will be representing them at that level as well," said Muiruri.
Attempts to get a comment from Waiguru were futile as she neither picked up calls nor responded to messages.
Kenya Kwanza has 23 governors including Meru's Kawira Mwangaza (Independent) while Azimio also has 23 county bosses on its side.
Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, (Independent) is yet to publicly declare which coalition he will support.
Waiguru has already received backing from Mt Kenya and Rift Valley governors while Abdulahi enjoys support within Azimio and the council at large who see him as reliable and a true believer in devolution.
The Wajir Governor served as chair of the finance committee of the council when he was county chief between 2013 and 17. He is credited for having pushed for reforms in the Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS).
Yesterday, he promised that if elected he will ensure stability in the financing of counties and their functions. "The funds must be predictable and released timely," he said.
