President Uhuru Kenyatta, senators and MPs skip devolution conference

The Executive, National Assembly and Senate were conspicuously missing as the third devolution conference kicked off in Meru yesterday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was supposed to officially open the conference, but he sent Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri instead. In his speech, the President took on graft in the counties, something the governors did not take too kindly.

When host governor Peter Munya rose to introduce the lawmakers, there was only one MP and two senators present.

Senators and the national executive yesterday gave the devolution conference in Meru County a wide berth.

The senators, who termed the event a "governors' function", openly snubbed the event, with four who were in Meru on Tuesday night leaving yesterday without attending the conference.

As late as Tuesday evening, governors were still in the dark on whether President Uhuru Kenyatta was going to officially open the conference, which brought together devolution stakeholders, including the private sector and the donor community.

Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri. President Uhuru Kenyatta was supposed to officially open the devolution conference, but he sent the cabinet secretary instead. (PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD)

Though attendance by governors, members of county assemblies and the diplomatic community was impressive, representation from the national government was sorely lacking.

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri read the President's speech explaining the Head of State was held up at a Cabinet retreat in Naivasha.

But sources within the Council of Governors (CoG) claimed they rescheduled the opening of the conference from Tuesday (April 19) to yesterday at the request of State House.

The Standard was reliably informed that governors had planned to publicly express their displeasure with the President's recent remarks during the State of the Nation address, in which he called for accountability for the close to Sh1 trillion allocation to counties since 2013.

BOYCOTT THREAT

Senators made good their threat to boycott the meeting, including host Kiraitu Murungi and Devolution committee chairman Wilfred Lesan (Bomet), Daniel Karaba (Kirinyaga) and Ben Njoroge (nominated), who were in Meru the previous night but chose to return to Nairobi instead.

The senators said they have "an oversight role over county funds and therefore cannot be party to the misappropriation of the same".

They also alleged the Senate, being a key stakeholder in devolution, had been excluded in the entire preparation and actual event.

But Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro and four nominated senators were present yesterday. Their attendance defied a Senate resolution on Tuesday evening to snub the event following reports that county governments had contributed Sh1 billion to finance the CoG, which organises the meeting. 

"We are not coming to Meru. What will we be celebrating? These meetings have never come up with resolutions that are implemented. The issue of the Sh1 billion contributed towards this event is a major concern," said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo/Marakwet).