Kenya: Governors protest their exclusion from Geneva trip

NAIROBI: The Government and governors are locked in yet another disagreement over travel to a conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Council of Governors (CoG) claims their representatives have been left out of the Kenyan delegation travelling to Geneva for the International Labour Conference.

Kisii Governor James Ongwae, who chairs the council's committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare, Kericho's Paul Chepkwony and John Mruttu (Taita Taveta) said they are yet to secure their visas from the Swiss embassy for the trip.

Nairobi Public Service Board (PSB) Chairman Philip Kung'u, Meru PSB Secretary Clare Kagwiria and CoG secretariat staff Eunice Daritsu who are also part of the CoG delegation, had also reportedly not obtained clearance from the embassy.

Governors have protested that they would miss the 104th session of the conference, which is scheduled to take place from June 1 to 13, because "of the Government's reluctance to include them in the country's delegation".

The county chiefs are furious and claim the national government was sidelining them yet counties employ over 126,000 employees, which is almost 70 per cent of the public workforce.

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Labour Principal Secretary Ali Noor Ismail, Thursday refused to explain the standoff saying he had held discussions with the CoG and informed them of the ministry's position.

"I have talked to Governor Ongwae and they know what our position is. There are certain procedures to be followed and I do not wish to discuss with you any further on what we told them (governors)," the PS said. He further refused to divulge details of the Kenyan delegation.

A fortnight ago, Chepkwony and Makueni County Executive Committee Member for Health Andrew Mulwa failed to secure visas to travel to Geneva, Switzerland for an international health event due to last minute applications, blamed on the Health ministry.

In the latest development, the six CoG officials had reportedly been cleared by both the Devolution and Foreign Affairs ministries. But the Labour ministry that had received the original invitation from International Labour Organisation (ILO), had not included them in the Kenyan delegation.

On the day the ministry forwarded a list to ILO, former CoG Chairman Isaac Ruto wrote to Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo.

"We are in receipt of your letter dated May 11 and we have noted the delegation consists of only national government officers whereas county governments have the bulk of public service workers. In this regard, the CoG will be sending a delegation led by James Ongwae," Ruto wrote.

And on Friday last week, CoG acting CEO Jacqueline Mogeni wrote: "This is a follow up on the letter Ref COG/6/46 to the Cabinet secretary. We would like to confirm the inclusion of our delegation to the conference since the dates of the event are so close." Both letters were not responded tp.

The ministry had received an invite from ILO on January 30, and four months later in a letter dated May 11, forwarded a list containing a 19-member delegation that included Omamo, Dr Sammy Nyambari (Labour Commissioner) and Joel Mwazia (Assistant Labour Commissioner).