Wamuzi News Ke
Governor Mutahi Kahiga has reversed his position on the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP).
After alleging that counties were pressured into participating in NESP, Kahiga has now expressed his approval of the initiative.
In remarks to the press, Kahiga clarified that his earlier comments were misconstrued and that he is in favor of the president’s initiative.
He noted that while individual counties were not consulted directly, the Council of Governors (CoG) had represented their unified interests during negotiations.
“The misunderstanding may have arisen because the Senate was discussing Nyeri as a county, and I clearly stated that even Kisii, Baringo, and other counties were not engaged as individual counties but through the Council of Governors, which we appointed.
“Therefore, at this moment, as the Vice Chair of the Council of Governors, I can confidently say this is one of the finest programs for us.
“Let us refrain from asserting that it is cloaked in uncertainty; it is not,” the county leader emphasized.
Kahiga’s change of heart follows a day after Ruto issued a pointed denial to assertions that governors were compelled to endorse the NESP contracts.
In defense of the program, Ruto maintained that the agreements were completely voluntary and criticized governors who alleged otherwise.
Ruto’s decisive remarks were a direct reaction to Kahiga’s statements before the Senate’s health committee, where he questioned the lack of autonomy for counties in joining the NESP.
