Council of Governors to elect new vice chair following Mutahi Kahiga's ouster
CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi condemned Kahiga’s remarks, describing them as “untimely, reckless and unspeakable” at a period of national mourning.
The Council of Governors (CoG) has unanimously agreed to oust Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga from his position as vice chair, following his controversial remarks over the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The move comes after a special council meeting convened on Wednesday to assess the impact of his statements and determine an appropriate response.
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CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi condemned Kahiga’s remarks, describing them as “untimely, reckless and unspeakable” at a period of national mourning. The council clarified that the statements reflected Kahiga’s personal views and did not represent the positions or values of the 47 county governments.
“The Council has unanimously agreed to remove Kahiga Mutahi from the leadership of the Council as the Vice Chair with immediate effect,” Ahmed said.
The Council expressed regret over the remarks made by Kahiga, offering apologies to the family of the late Raila on behalf of all 47 county governments.
“We continue to mourn with the family during this difficult time and reaffirm our solidarity, respect, and support to them,” it said.
The council also announced that it will hold a subsequent meeting to elect a new vice chair.
The head of county governments further urged leaders to exercise restraint and mindfulness in their public statements, emphasising adherence to national values and constitutional principles of good governance.
Kahiga sparked outrage on Tuesday during a burial ceremony in Nyeri, suggesting that Raila’s death was part of a divine plan to restore development benefits to the Mt Kenya region. In a viral video, he claimed the political arrangement between President William Ruto and the late Raila had shifted government development priorities to Nyanza.
“You guys can see, you can see what had been planned, but God brought something up. Now it’s total confusion. Everybody can see that…all goodies were being directed there because of tomorrow’s plans…God came and brought this thing,” Kahiga said in the local dialect.
“So now people have been told to go back to the drawing board…Does he take ugali at somebody’s house or sleep in Kayole? He came through in his own way. He saw up there people in heaven are disagreeing a lot and came for Baba so that he can go and smoothen things up there.”
Following the backlash, Kahiga resigned from the CoG position on Wednesday morning and apologised for his comments.
“I want to apologise to the family, the larger ODM, my colleagues and those in the larger Nyanza region…my remarks are personal, and not those of the people of Nyeri and the Council of Governors,” he said.
“I am taking responsibility and resigning with immediate effect as the vice chair of the Council of Governors.”
He had been re-elected to the position on October 6, 2025.
The council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Odinga family and stressed that national leaders must act with responsibility in all public statements, particularly during sensitive moments of mourning.
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