Kericho governor, deputy asked to reconcile and focus on development agenda

Governors and their deputies have been urged to work closely together to deliver on their mandate and help spur economic growth.

The call came as a row between Kericho Governor Erick Mutai and his deputy Fred Kirui became public, the first devolved government after the August elections to have two top leaders who cannot read from the same script.

Mr Kirui claimed that Dr Mutai had reneged on a 60-40 percent power-sharing agreement and nominated candidates for the cabinet without his input.

He also claimed Dr Mutai and sidelined him in decision-making with far-reaching effects on departments including health, public service and water.

Implementing their alleged pre-election pact is tricky as the two are from one political outfit – President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Nandi Deputy Governor Yusila Cheruiyot said disagreements between the two top political guns in counties would retard economic growth and divide residents.

Mr Jackson Kikwai, a former member of the Kericho County Assembly, led some leaders from Kipkelion East and Kipkelion West constituencies in calling for a truce and urging Mr Kirui to be content with the deputy governor’s position.

“There is no reason the deputies cannot work well with their governors, because they have a joint ticket and mandate, having been elected by the people as a team,” Dr Cheruiyot said.

Experience from the last 10 years, she said, showed that fighting between leaders rolled back the gains made under devolution.

“For Governor Stephen Sang and I to be re-elected for a second term, we worked very closely together to deliver on our agenda. It should be the way to go for the other county heads,” Dr Cheruiyot said.

She said that was also what happened in Kericho between former governor Paul Chepkwony and his deputy, the late Susan Kikwai, in their first and second terms.

Ms Kikwai succumbed to Covid-19 complications in March 2021 and was succeeded by Ms Lily Ng’ok.

Dr Cheruiyot, a former university lecturer, said leaders need to cultivate good relationships despite the different opinions they may hold on issues affecting the county.

“I also wish to state that voters should not stir rifts between governors and their deputies, because in the end, they are the ones to suffer when the differences spill over to implementation of development projects,” Dr Cheruiyot said.

Mr Kikwai said the claimed pre-election agreement between Mr Kirui and Dr Mutai “was not made public, the voters and residents were not involved and they are learning of it for the first time from the outburst by the deputy governor”.

“Why did he wait until this time to speak up?” he said.

The deputy governor, he said, should have involved voters in crafting the pact and gone back to them with the details after signing it.

“We are not ready for a tug of war for five years between the governor and his deputy as that will affect implementation of development programmes,” Mr Kikwai said.

“The deputy governor should not put forth unnecessary, unrealistic and unconstitutional demands. He should have familiarised himself with the functions of the deputy governor’s position before signing up to take it.”

The leaders wondered who among the nominees for CEC positions from Kipkelion West and Kipkelion East Mr Kirui wanted removed and the candidates he wanted to replace them, with the list already forwarded to the assembly for vetting.

Mr Kirui claimed that under the signed pre-election pact – which he did not produce – Dr Mutai was to consult with him and give him slots in the CEC to nominate members for but the governor had allegedly failed to do so.

Last week, Dr Mutai unveiled 11 nominees for the CEC and chief officer positions at a function skipped by Mr Kirui.

The CEC nominees include Dr Wesley Bor (County Secretary and Head of Public Service), Mr Leonard Kipkoech Ngetich (Finance and Economic Planning), Mr Daniel Kipkorir Rop (Agricultural, Livestock and Cooperatives Management), and Ms Rosemary Chepkirui Rop (Water Environment, Energy, Forestry and Natural Resources).

The others are Ms Ednah Chepkirui Tonui (Health), Ms Lawrence Kipkoech Bii (Education, Culture, Libraries and Social Services), Judy Chepkorir (ICT, e-Government, Youth Affairs and Sports).

Also nominated are Mr Brian Cheruiyot Langat (Lands, Housing and Physical Planning), Mr Erick Kipngetich Koech (Public Works, Roads and Transport), Ms Brenda Bii (Public Service Management), and Mr Benard Bii (Trade, Industrialisation, Innovation, Tourism). Mr Vincent Kigen was appointed chief of staff.

Mr Kirui has been conspicuously missing at key functions attended or presided over by Dr Mutai, including the swearing-in of MCAs and the election of Speaker, the official opening of the assembly, the unveiling of CEC and chief officer nominees and official engagements at the county headquarters with stakeholders and heads of departments.

Mr Kirui at the weekend skipped International Coffee Day celebrations, a national function that Kericho County hosted at Fort Ternan in Kipkelion West constituency, which is his backyard. The venue – Kipkelion coffee milling plant – is a few kilometres from his home. He was understood to have been at home attending to his private business.

Governor Mutai, Nandi DG Cheruiyot and Kipkelion West MP Hillary Koskei also attended the event along with several MCAs.

Some residents jeered when the issue of the DG’s absence was brought up, questioning why he was apparently abdicating his duties.

Dr Mutai steered clear of the issue when he addressed residents, only calling for unity of purpose among leaders for development to be achieved.

“I want to commit that my administration will deliver on its mandate and we have no time to waste with sideshows as the people expect a lot from us with the clock already ticking towards the end of our five years [in office],” Dr Mutai said.

Dr Mutai and Mr Kirui sought UDA tickets but came together a few days before the April 4 nominations and agreed to run for governor and deputy, respectively, against former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter.

Dr Mutai garnered 126,038 votes against Mr Keter’s 60,342 in UDA primaries and was eventually elected the second governor of Kericho in the August 9 polls, succeeding Prof Chepkwony.

Differences between governors and their deputies have been reported in other counties, weeks after the elections.

In Kakamega, Deputy Ayub Savula recently declared that he was co-governor to his boss Fernandes Barasa, claiming the two had a pre-election pact that must be honoured.

“I am not a deputy governor but a co-governor of Kakamega … It is a fifty-fifty. That was our agreement,” Mr Savula, a former journalist, said, but he retracted the statement last week.

Mr Barasa and Mr Savula both sought the Kakamega governorship before they joined hands to run as one ticket.

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