How lack of political experience leaves some governors exposed

By PROTUS ONYANGO and RUSHDIE OUDIA

The wave of impeachment of governors by Members of the County Assembly continues sweeping the counties.

Interestingly, governors who have been impeached or are threatened with removal are political newcomers. Now, political analysts and politicians think the seat of governor needs both managerial and political experience.

Analysts say governors who have political experience have tackled their portfolio relatively well.

The first to be impeached was former Embu Governor Martin Wambora followed by former Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony.

Others facing impeachment threats are Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), Julius Malombe (Kitui), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Tana River Governor Hussein Dado. John Nyagarama of Nyamira is dealing with problems in the county that have seen his speaker impeached.

Malombe and Cheboi joined politics for the first time last year. Chepkwony, who has a PhD in Organic Chemistry, was a lecturer at Moi University. Dr Malombe joined politics from the private sector, same to Tolgos, who is a former CEO of Kobcom Petroleum Limited. Nyagarama is a former teacher. Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero also came from the private sector. Cheboi is former CEO of the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb). Wambora is also from the private sector although he was once Runyenjes MP before he was defeated by current MP, Cecily Mbarire.

Political analysts say that some embattled governors are performing dismally due to inexperience in politics. Former Speaker Kennedy Marende says governors need some political acumen to survive.

Mix of skills

“They need wholesome exposure and a mix of economics, mob trouble management skills, psychology and sociology. They need to be well rounded people,” says Marende.

He, however, thinks most governors lack these skills and exhibit the big man syndrome and that is why they are impeached. “The law is not the problem. We have borrowed so much from the US where impeachment is common. The problem is that governors lack capacity and hands-on experience,” Marende says. The former Speaker says governors needed to have been taken for induction.

“They needed capacity building to know how to deal with the demands of their offices. They should be receptive and adopt an open-door policy where they listen to all people instead of shunning some,” he says.

He singles out Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and his Kakamega counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya as examples of governors with political experience, who are enduring the storm in their counties.

“They are hardened since they are used to pressure and are handling matters with relative storm,” Marende says. Ruto, a former MP and minister, was re-elected as chair of the Council of Governors and despite rubbing the Government the wrong way, he has endeared himself to fellow governors and Kenyans because of his support for devolution.

Ojaamong has endeared himself to the MCAs and the Busia residents despite him coming from the minority Teso tribe. Other seasoned politicians who are governors are Ali Joho (Mombasa), Mason Kingi (Kilifi), Peter Munya (Meru), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Nderitu Gachagua (Nyeri). Others are William Kabogo (Kiambu), Josephat Nanok (Turkana), Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Moses Akaranga (Vihiga), Peter Munya of Meru and Kakamega’s Wycliffe Oparanya. Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti, who has served in the private and public sectors, has allowed MCAs to watch over what he does. He holds frequent meetings with them and listens to them.

Awiti is also accessible to the public and when the MCAs rejected his list of executive members, it is the public who protested and supported him. Awiti also regularly eats in roadside kiosks with the public. Dr Adams Oloo, a political scientist, says it is evident that governors from the private sector are having a hard time containing MCAs. Oloo says the governors have come with the private sector mentality where they have little time for those who do not have technical know-how. He says the governors seem to have forgotten some of the MCAs are seasoned politicians.

Character clash

“When these two characters clash, MCAs will look for the slightest loop-hole to bring their governor down,” says Oloo, adding that the county representatives want recognition, want to be consulted and are also out to cut deals. Oloo says those with political background survive since they can sense any ill motive against them and strategise to counter it.

He advises governors that the way forward is to engage the Senate and the National Assembly to re-look the threshold of impeachment since it is way too low. “It has reached a point whereby if you do not appease MCAs, you are shown the door,” says Oloo.

In an interview with The Standard on Sunday, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya describes how he manages to operate without interference from local leaders.

Oparanya says as a governor, you must ensure you keep in touch as much as possible with the elected leaders from your county.

He ensures he calls MPs and MCAs from all the 12 sub-counties nearly every day to ensure everything is smooth in the county.

“If I were Wambora, I would not have left the situation to even reach the county assembly, since I have my eyes on the ground,” says Oparanya.

He is of the opinion there should be proper legislation setting the standard for impeachment since as it stands, it is hard to recall an MCA yet easy to impeach a governor.

Some governors have improvised many ways of ensuring they are in good books with the MCAs, including frequent treats and tokens.

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, who has worked in the civil service before he became a county boss, has waded through the murky waters of county politics. He says governors need to create a cordial working relationship with their respective county assemblies. Lusaka says he frequently meets elected leaders from the county in a Kamukunji where they sort out issues that might have made them cross paths.He says proper civic education needs to take place in all organs of the county government and induction be done so that everyone respects the other’s role and position.

“The current trend on impeachment is worrying and we wouldn’t want it to reach a point whereby Governors fight for their survival at the expense of service delivery. This would be a tragedy to devolution,” says Lusaka. MPs from Kisumu County recently put Governor Jack Ranguma on the spot over development in the region. Some said many attempts to bring together all leaders from Kisumu to meet the governor on the way forward on development has been thwarted many times by Ranguma.

Few months after being sworn in, Ranguma said some area MPs knew they will have the chance of nominating the executive committee and when he declined, they turned against him.

Kisumu West Olago Aluoch says governors need to be politicians.

“We erred in giving the posts to professionals who lacked the political acumen. We elected non-politicians and took them to the political pool. We are likely to see more of them being impeached or imprisoned because of corruption,” Olago said. Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi says he will table a motion in Parliament in June to amend the County Government Act, 2013 as far as impeachment is concerned.