Revealed: Why governors rarely take on the State nowadays

Council of Governors Chairman Josephat Nanok. (Peter Ochieng', Standard)

The Council of Governors (CoG) has explained why its relationship with the national government has been more cordial under the chairmanship of Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok.

But the team that took over after last August's election says the CoG has changed tack to embrace dialogue.

Under the past leadership of former governors Isaac Ruto and Peter Munya, CoG frequently clashed with the Jubilee government, resulting in the national government once snubbing the governors' conference.

Senators also snubbed the conference and organised a parallel forum as supremacy battles between them and the governors escalated.

Council vice chairperson Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) says they have realised that dialogue and negotiation are the only way out.

“We have legally established forums like the Summit chaired by the President and the Inter-governmental Budget and Economic Council chaired by the Deputy President, where we can discuss and iron out grey areas,” said Ms Waiguru.

Mr Nanok, who is serving his second term as governor, is the current CoG chairman.

Senate Leader of Majority Kipchumba Murkomen, who also served in the last Senate, which clashed frequently with governors, said the infighting was now a thing of the past.

“We no longer engage in the old confrontational way of doing things. That is a thing of the past. The CoG is now more accommodating towards institutions of Government. Devolution is not about governors,” said the Elgeyo Marakwet senator.

“The council is more inclusive. We are doing things through a consultative process. This is the spirit to carry on. Devolution stakeholders should work together and manage affairs collectively.”

Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka, the former Bungoma governor, said: “The relationship was frosty in the (Isaac) Ruto regime because of suspicion between the two levels of government. The county governments were fighting for space and the national government stamped its authority.

“The same continued under the leadership of Munya. Governor Nanok took the helm when the muddied waters had cleared and you (Kenyans) can see a warm and healthy co-existence. The circumstances sometimes dictate certain actions,” he added.

The difference were mostly over resources, functions and alleged encroachment of turf by other institutions.

At some point during Mr Ruto's tenure, the governors sponsored the ‘Pesa Mashinani’ initiative, seeking to amend the Constitution to guarantee their independence and open the door for more resources to the counties.

As the pioneer council chairman of the council, the former Bomet governor was outspoken in his views.

The Government quickly branded him a rebel as he constantly told the leadership off, rattling the President and his deputy William Ruto. It is this defiant position that many believe cost him a second term as governor.

He is however credited with the institutionalisation of CoG.

Mr Munya, the former Meru governor, was no different, except that the confrontations slowed down a bit especially towards the General Election.

Things would change under Nanok, the self-effacing governor of Turkana, who took over just two months to the August 2017 General Election.

According to a recent Synovate report, CoG under Nanok is a lame duck, with most county issues being swept under the carpet.

Counties have been complaining about delayed disbursement of funds, which has crippled services.

Jubilee Party enjoys numerical strength in CoG after clinching majority seat in the governorship races in last year’s polls.

They plotted Nanok’s ouster during a meeting in Kwale County but he got a six-month reprieve to finish his term.