Wamuzi News Ke
Tensions between President William Ruto’s government and Kenya’s county governors exploded this week, as local leaders accused the national administration of sidelining them in major development projects.
In a fiery address at the Kenya Devolution Support Programme II (KDSP) in Naivasha on Tuesday, Council of Governors (CoG) vice-chair Mutahi Kahiga didn’t hold back. He accused the national government of bypassing counties and warned that development initiatives will continue to stall unless counties are granted direct control.
“We have the structures, the capacity, and the mandate — yet we are being ignored,” Kahiga declared, demanding that all government programs, including the much-hyped subsidized fertilizer scheme, be rooted in county governments with proper funding mechanisms tied to the CoG.
The outspoken governor blasted the national government for dragging its feet and blocking counties from implementing the very programs launched in their own backyards. He urged development partners to bypass Nairobi altogether and channel their support directly through the Council of Governors.
“The truth is this: every program — fertilizer or not — must be executed at the county level. That’s where the people are, and that’s where the results happen,” Kahiga emphasized, adding that working with the CoG will lead to faster, more efficient results.
This latest confrontation adds fuel to a growing storm that’s been brewing for months. Just weeks earlier, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o accused President Ruto of “undermining devolution” by pushing to transfer the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) from counties back to national control.
Nyong’o didn’t mince words. He rejected Ruto’s defense of agencies like the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA), arguing that their continued existence is a direct attack on the spirit of devolution enshrined in the Constitution.
“If devolution is truly respected, there’s no need for KURA or KERA. Let the counties do the work they were elected to do,” Nyong’o said.
With frustrations boiling over and political lines hardening, this power struggle between the counties and the national government could shape the future of governance in Kenya.
