Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has been elected chairperson of the council of governors (COG).
Honorable Abdullahi takes over from Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who served for a two-year term.
The new chairperson has been selected following an election that took place Monday morning at Nairobi’s Safari Park hotel, with the leaders agreeing on a consensus.
Those who contested for the position include Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who was the only first time governor vying, Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado) and Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri) .
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga takes on the Vice Chairperson position.
The outgoing chairperson Anne Waiguru is expected to deliver a State of The Nation address, as she hands over the mantle to the new chair.
The Council of County Governors (COG) is a non-partisan organization established under Section 19 of the Intergovernmental Relations Act (IGRA 2012).
The organisation’s chair is positioned to be the face whose duties include offering a collective voice on policy issues and promoting inter-county consultations, among others, per The Standard.
“Previous holders have often been vocal about enhancing devolution and have never shied from confronting the national government for delayed disbursements of county cash.”
The election process reportedly took five hours, and involved several key considerations before any of the chiefs could be elected to the position.
Kenyans notes: “A primary factor was the number of times a contestant had participated in the Council’s previous meetings.The process also aimed to ensure regional balance in electing Kenya’s next COG chairperson to avoid the seat returning to the same region consecutively.”
