Month: October 2023

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru was on Monday, 2nd October 2023, unanimously re-elected as the Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG) alongside Governor Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir as the Vice Chairperson. Governors also retained Governor Stephen Sang of Nandi as the Chief Whip.
Elections for the CoG Executive and the Council Committee Chairpersons were conducted pursuant to Sections 19(2) and (3) of the Intergovernmental Relations Act (2012).
Hailed as a transformational and visionary leader, Governor Waiguru is the first woman to be elected as the Council Chairperson, having succeeded Martin Wambora, former Governor Embu County. Wambora was the fifth Council Chairperson having succeeded former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (2019-2021). Former Governor Isaac Ruto of Bomet (2013-2015), Meru’s Peter Munya (2015-2017) and Turkana’s Josphat Nanok (2017-2019) served as first, second and third chairpersons respectively.
Waiguru lauded county governors for a successful vote while expressing gratitude for the opportunity to lead the council.
“I would like to thank the Governors for having faith in my leadership and congratulate the entire executive and the respective technical committee chairs elected today,” she said while addressing the press after the Council meeting.
Waiguru further enumerated the milestones achieved by the Council during her tenure, particularly the timely disbursement of Counties’ equitable share of revenue, the first Biennial Devolution Conference in Uasin Gishu County and improved intergovernmental relations.
She highlighted key priority areas for the next year to include the full transfer of all devolved functions and subsequent resources to County Governments; increasing Counties’ revenue allocation and own source revenue; successful implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and agricultural value chains development.
“In the recent past, there have been attempts to claw back apanelesssolution.com on devolution through enactment of legislation and creation of unconstitutional institutions to undertake devolved functions. I call upon all stakeholders to work together to safeguard devolution and effectively serve all Kenyans,” Waiguru added citing the recent gazettement of the additional Water Works Development Authority, the enactment of Community Groups Bill and passage of the Facility Improvement Funds Act.
The Council elections saw Nyeri’s Mutahi Kahiga take over leadership of the CoG Human Resource Committee from Nairobi’s Johnson Sakaja.
In other changes, Governor Susan Kihika of Nakuru and Baringo’s Benjamin Cheboi were elected the Trade, Industry, Manufacturing and Enterprise Development and Security and Foreign Affairs Committee chairs respectively. The remaining 15 Committee Chairpersons retained their seats.
The Council later appeared before the National Dialogue Committee to present its position on key issues affecting devolution. CoG proposed the funding and periodic costing of National and County functions; increase of the equitable share of revenue for the County Governments to 45%; establishment of a borrowing framework by the Counties; establishment of the National Treasury as an independent institution from the Ministry of Finance; representation of the County Governments in the National Security Council and establishment of County Security Councils; delimitation of boundaries for the Counties and; review of the threshold for impeachment of Governors.

The Council of Governors (CoG) has expressed confidence on the need for a coordinated multi-sectoral response to anticipated emergencies in flood prone areas as the country braces for above-average rainfall in the months of October, November, December, and January 2024.
The Kenya Meteorological Department issued a forecast anticipating El Nino rains in an update published in September 2023, adding that heavy rainfall could result in unprecedented damage, impacting lives and livelihoods throughout the nation.
CoG committed to a collaborative approach during a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on 28th September 2023 at his Karen residence. The meeting attended by CoG Chairperson Anne Waiguru, Governor of Kirinyaga, assessed the country’s preparedness to mitigate the effects of El Niño. The primary objective of the meeting was to formulate a comprehensive response strategy aimed at safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of Kenyan citizens.
In her remarks during the meeting, Waiguru noted that Counties have been coordinating a response mechanism in preparation for El Niño and so far, more than 23 have shared their contingency plans with CoG. The counties include Isiolo, Lamu, Nyamira, Kirinyaga, Marsabit West Pokot, Vihiga, Kakamega, Murang’a, Laikipia, Machakos, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Nakuru and Homa Bay among others.
“Counties have done a quick estimation of the resources that will be required to deal with this matter and out of the 23 Counties, we already have an estimation of about Kshs. 8 billion, you can imagine that by the time others come, we will probably be at Kshs. 15 billion required to fund the preparedness and response activities,” Waiguru said.
In addition to financial preparations, County Governments have recommended urgent evacuation protocols for communities in high-risk areas, swift and resilient infrastructure restoration, robust disease prevention and control measures, and clearing of drainage systems, among other strategies.
Gachagua reaffirmed the commitment of the National Government to support County Governments in implementing necessary measures to minimize the impacts of El Nino. This is to ensure that the country does not experience a disastrous effect as observed in 1997 where over 1.5 million people were negatively affected.
“Discussions have already started with the National Treasury on preparedness in terms of resources from the contingency fund. We are also in talks with the Ministry to establish ways to unlock resources from World Bank and other partners to mitigate negative impact of the rains,” said the Deputy President.
Further, the Deputy President urged Counties with large urban areas, such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, to prioritize the cleaning and unclogging of drainage networks. He highlighted the availability of the National Youth Service to assist Counties in this effort, including unclogging drainage systems and preparing artificial waterways like surface run-offs.
This high-level meeting came even as Counties held an Urban Disaster Displacement Capacity Assessment workshop in Mombasa on 26th September 2023 aimed at strengthening Counties’ capacity to mitigate risks brought about by disaster displacement for effective and sustainable preparedness, response and recovery measures.
The Karen meeting brought together key stakeholders including Cabinet Secretaries, CoG Vice Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi, Governor of Wajir, and at least 15 County Governors, United Nations Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson, Principal Secretaries, humanitarian organizations, officials from the national administration, local and international partners.
Participants resolved that frequent meetings of the Technical and Steering Committees as well as the County Disaster Management Committees be held to provide guidance to flood mitigation and response efforts.

The National Government has committed to unlock Sh7.4bn in grants to County Governments through an ambitious Climate Resilience Investment plan under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program.
The allocation earmarked for the 2023/2024 fiscal year was announced as Kenya hosted the first Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS23) which saw global leaders, heads of State from across the African continent, United Nations agencies, Governors, Regional Economic Communities, policy makers, intergovernmental organizations, private sector, civil society, academia and delegates convene at the KICC grounds in Nairobi from 4th – 7th September 2023.
Themed “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance for solutions for Africa and the World”, the Summit presented an opportunity to deliberate on critical issues on climate financing, including honoring past global financing arrangements and collaboration in additional financing for earmarked green transition investments in Africa; operationalization of loss and damage at COP 28.
Delegates also explored proposals on how to position Africa as the next destination for green investments to enhance de-carbonation of the global economy.
Speaking while presenting a Sh7.4bn cheque to counties during a side event co-hosted by the Council of Governors (CoG), Ministry of Environment and FLLoCA, Dr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, emphasized that community engagement and involvement in decision making was paramount to achieving meaningful change at the grassroots level.
“Communities are not just victims of Climate Change but also powerful agents in responding to the impacts of Climate Change,” he noted.
“The County Climate Resilience Grant, together with Sh3 billion of County own-resource allocations towards climate action, will assist counties in developing and implementing tailored climate resilience strategies in response to risks identified by communities in sectors such as agriculture, water, and natural resource management,” President Ruto explained.
CoG Chairperson, Governor Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), welcomed the development as a significant milestone towards climate resilience.
“By equipping communities and governments with the necessary tools, resources, and knowledge, we can ensure that communities are better prepared for the challenges brought by climate change,” she noted.
President Ruto also presided over the launch of the Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) 2022-2050, the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2023-2028 and the Climate Change (Amendment) Act 2023.
The President, accompanied by Governor Waiguru attended the high level side event on operationalization of the Building Climate Resilience for the Urban Poor (BCRUP) Initiative.
The BCRUP initiative is pegged on six outcome areas namely: building resilience of communities, neighborhoods and eco-systems within urban poor areas; building resilient climate proof infrastructure in poor urban areas; developing climate resilience integrated urban spatial plans; enhancing adaptive capacity of the urban poor against climate change effects; strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions within urban dimensions, research, reporting and database and; governance framework to better manage rapid urbanization and climate change effects.
In line with the Climate Summit theme, CoG held a side event on 6th September 2023 on Sub-National Financing for Accelerated Climate Action which brought together Governors, Senate, Representatives from EALGA, UCLG and the Global Center for Adaptation among other stakeholders.
CoG’s Environment and Climate Change Committee Chairperson Dr. Wilber Ottichilo, Governor of Vihiga, called for sustained efforts to address challenges in accessing climate finance.
“Counties have made significant progress in meeting international climate change commitments, including enacting relevant legislation, investing in clean cooking solutions, promoting community tree nurseries, solarizing county offices, and implementing climate-smart agriculture,” Governor Ottichilo explained while calling for continued support.
CoG Vice Chairperson, Governor Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir), called for sustained efforts to eradicate bottlenecks impeding partnerships.
“Sub-national governments face bottlenecks in public-private partnerships (PPPs) due to complex processes. Advocacy efforts are needed at all levels to facilitate public-private investments, especially when resources are scarce,” he said.
“In addition, we need to build capacity to address the impacts of climate change, particularly in planning adaptation projects for effective Climate Action,” Abdullahi noted.
The session further emphasized on the need to develop regulations under the Climate Change (Amendment) Act of 2023 to enable carbon trading and equitable sharing of benefits, including with local communities and support enforcement and compliance at local level.
Governors participated in various side events touching on pertinent matters affecting sub-national governments including those that discussed the role of women in energy transition for a sustainable future in Africa.
Other fora delved on reforming the Global Financial Architecture from the bottom up and; The Circular Economy: Driver for Green Growth and Climate Resilience in Africa.
ACS23 encompassed a rich blend of panel discussions, plenary and exhibitions that served as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes, ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.
The declaration outlines Africa’s position ahead of the UNFCCC COP28 in the United Arab Emirates slated for late November to 12th December 2023.
In a call to action, African leaders urged developed countries to reduce carbon emissions, proposing a new financing mechanism to restructure Africa’s crippling debt and unlock climate funding.

President William Ruto on Monday, 25th September 2023 flagged off the distribution of 100,000 kits to be used by Community Health Promoters (CHPs) across the 47 Counties as part of the efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
The kits will be essential in empowering and equipping CHPs with basic household screening equipment and smart phones to enhance access to primary healthcare and promote healthier communities. This includes a backpack carrier bag, first aid box, jacket, weighing scale, infrared clinical thermometer and a mid-upper arm circumference tape (pediatric).
Speaking at Uhuru park in Nairobi where the event was held, the president said that the 100, 000 CHPs will transform healthcare at the grassroots and Kenyans will be offered basic screening services at the household level.
“Kenyans will now be attended to in their homes by fully trained local community Health Promoters who will be supervised by qualified health workers, “said president Ruto further pledging to support Counties in promoting preventive and promotive health services.
“I also want to assure our County Governments that they have our cooperation in delivering services to the people of Kenya. My responsibility is to ensure that the Counties succeed and Kenya succeeds”
Making her remarks, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said primary healthcare would help in achieving Universal Health Coverage and that CHPs are a critical component in the implementation of this health strategy.
Council of Governors (CoG) Chair H.E Anne Waiguru reiterated County Governments commitment to supporting the CHP programme by allocating resources that will match National Government’s allocation. The programme will be jointly implemented by the National Government and County Governments with both levels sharing the responsibility of paying the CHPs.
‘The CHPs programme will undoubtedly go a long way in reducing the burden on our healthcare system by preventing diseases, promoting healthier lifestyles and providing vital health support to those in need,” added Governor Waiguru.
“This programme has come at a time when the country is preparing for the predicted El nino rains. The CHPs will play a vital role in facilitating disease surveillance at the household level and ultimately help in the management of illnesses associated with floods,” noted the CoG Health Committee Chair H.E Muthomi Njuki.
The CHPs are mandated to visit 100 households every two to three months to provide services to all Kenyans from the comfort of their homes. At this level, most basic screenings and tests will be offered free of charge, including weight, blood pressure, sugar levels and other primary services.
They will also counsel families on health improvement and disease prevention, provide basic first aid for common illness and minor injuries, conduct basic health screening during home visits and refer serious cases to level four or five hospitals depending on the condition of the patients.