- Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki was elected chairman of the Council of Governors on Monday, October 11
- Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka, who has served two terms in office, was elected deputy chairman alongside Njuki
- Njuki succeeds Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who led the council since 2024, amid pressure over county funding
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki has been elected chairman of the Council of Governors (CoG), with Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka taking up the deputy chairmanship position.
Source: Facebook
The Council of Governors announced the leadership change on Monday, October 11, during a luncheon at Mövenpick Hotel, Westlands, Nairobi, marking a transition from the tenure of outgoing chairman Ahmed Abdullahi, the governor of Wajir, who had led the council since 2024.
Njuki's background and political career
Njuki is the second and incumbent governor of Tharaka Nithi county, having first won the seat in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket.
Before his gubernatorial career, he served as the Member of Parliament for Chuka/Igamba Ng'ombe Constituency from 2013 to 2017, where he sat on the Public Investments Committee and the Departmental Committee on Energy, Communications and Information.
He holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Botany and Zoology from Kenyatta University, and a Master's degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovations Management from the University of Nairobi.
County funding and devolution at the fore
The new leadership inherits a charged environment, with county governments pressing for increased funding, timely disbursement of equitable share allocations, and settlement of pending financial obligations owed to devolved units.
Njuki's election places him at the heart of negotiations between county and national governments over devolution implementation, the distribution of responsibilities between the two levels of government, and resource allocation for critical sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and public service delivery.
Lusaka brings considerable administrative experience to the deputy role, having served as Bungoma governor since 2013.
Source: Facebook
The Council of Governors brings together leaders of all 47 counties in Kenya, providing a formal platform for collective engagement with the national government.
The incoming leadership is expected to strengthen cooperation among governors and advance counties' shared interests as devolved units continue to push for fuller implementation of constitutional commitments on devolution.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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