Governors Set To Elect New Leadership As Waiguru’s Term Ends

NAIROBI, Kenya – The 47 county governors are meeting at a City hotel in Nairobi to elect new leadership for the Council of Governors (CoG), a pivotal body representing Kenya county governments.

The election comes at a critical time, with major decisions on the horizon, particularly around the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), a new national health plan set to transform healthcare delivery in the counties.

Outgoing CoG Chairperson, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, is expected to deliver her final address, outlining the council’s achievements over the past two years.

Waiguru’s tenure has seen counties navigating through various challenges, including the pandemic recovery and fiscal constraints.

Her address is anticipated to highlight these issues while setting the stage for her successor.

Several county chiefs are vying for the position of chairperson, with notable contenders including the current vice-chair Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, and Nairobi’s first-term Governor Johnson Sakaja.

In addition to the election, the governors will be deliberating on the implementation of the SHIF, a health insurance program intended to improve access to healthcare services across the country.

However, there have been tensions between county governments and the national administration over the plan’s rollout.

Outgoing chair of the CoG Health Committee, Muthomi Njuki, raised concerns over what he described as counties being sidelined in the process.

He pointed out that despite counties managing the majority of health facilities, none had yet signed the required Intergovernmental Participatory Agreements (IPAs) with the implementing authority.

“We cannot proceed with such a critical health reform without a clear framework that guarantees county involvement,” Njuki remarked, stressing that counties must play a central role in SHIF’s implementation for it to succeed.