Mutahi Kahiga resigns as Council of Governors Vice Chair, apologises for remarks on Raila's death

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga at a past event.

By Lucy Mumbi
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

He apologised to the family of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and to Kenyans.

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has resigned as the Vice Chair of the Council of Governors (CoG) following widespread criticism over comments he made during a burial ceremony in his home village, suggesting that the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga disrupted political plans that had allegedly disadvantaged the Mt Kenya region.

In a statement on Wednesday, Kahiga apologised to Raila Odinga’s family, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) fraternity, the Luo community, fellow political leaders, and Kenyans at large for any harm caused by his remarks.

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He noted that his remarks came from a personal perspective and were not intended to represent any community, political party, or the Council of Governors.

“The clip was taken while attending a burial in my home village. My remarks were in no way celebratory. What I meant is that under the current broad-based government, we have seen skewed development, and, politically, the loss of Raila Odinga sends everyone back to the drawing board. As the popular saying goes, 'God takes the best and it is in this context that I made those remarks in vernacular,” he said.

“Let me make it clear that the remarks I made are my personal views and therefore should in no way be associated with a community's position or any political affiliation, nor the Council of Governors.”

In the viral video, Kahiga, speaking in the local dialect, suggested that the government’s development priorities had been skewed toward the Nyanza region under the political arrangement between President William Ruto and the late Raila Odinga.

“You guys can see what had been planned, but God brought something up. Now it’s total confusion. We did not harbour hate for anyone, but God came through for us,” he said.

He added that the former Prime Minister’s death “levelled the playing field” and forced politicians to return to the drawing board ahead of the 2027 General Election.

“The plan that had been hatched… all goodies were being directed there because of tomorrow’s plans… but God came and brought this thing,” Kahiga said.

The remarks drew condemnation from both government and opposition figures. CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi, also the Governor of Wajir County, said Kahiga’s comments were “reckless, insensitive, sad, and unfortunate,” and disassociated the council from the governor’s statements.

“Raila Odinga was and will forever remain a statesman whose contributions are embedded in the annals of our country’s history,” Ahmed said, describing the late leader as a protector of devolution and a father figure to many.

ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga also criticised Kahiga’s remarks, calling them “primitive, insensitive and insulting,” and urged his resignation from the CoG vice chair position.

She accused the governor of promoting tribal chauvinism and warned that such rhetoric could destabilise the country.

“This kind of hate speech has ignited flames in other nations. It can happen here, too, if we allow people like Kahiga to normalise such dangerous thinking. Kenya belongs to all of us. No one tribe owns this country,” Wanga said.

Acknowledging the public interest in the controversy, Kahiga said he was stepping down immediately as CoG Vice Chair to take responsibility for his statements.