The Council of Governors (CoG) has removed Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga as its vice chairperson following his remarks that appeared to celebrate former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s death.
The announcement came shortly after the governor announced his resignation from the responsibility on Wednesday morning.
“I am taking responsibility for the real and perceived meaning of my remarks and as a result I have decided that with immediate effect step down as the vice chair of Council of Governors,” Kahiga said.
In a press briefing, the CoG chair and Wajir Governor, Ahmed Abdullahi expressed his disappointment with the Governor’s utterances, saying they did not reflect or represent the views and the values of the Council.
“We therefore disassociate ourselves in total and condemn these utterances which were untimely, reckless, and unspeakable, especially at this time of deep mourning,” he said on Wednesday, at the CoG headquarters after convening a special council meeting.
While attending a funeral at his village in Nyeri on Tuesday, Kahiga told mourners that Raila’s death was God’s plan to get the Mt Kenya region back to benefiting from State resources that had been diverted to Nyanza.
“You guys can see what had been planned but God brought something up. Now it’s total confusion. Everybody can see that. We did not harbor hate for anyone but God came through for us. Because the plan that had been hatched, if you look keenly, for you who do not travel because I was in that region, all goodies were being directed there because of tomorrow’s plans because it seemed like they did away with us but God came and brought this thing,” he said in vernacular in a video clip that has gone viral.
He went on to say: “So now people have been told to go back to the drawing board because the plan that was there was probably to throw us out. But who is God. 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 smooth things up there.”
The utterances sparked public outrage, with leaders from the political divide condemning him, terming the sentiments as reckless.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has fired at Kahiga and accused him of speaking for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
‘What I know is that Kahiga does not speak for himself. Kahiga is the Spokesperson of Rigathi Gachagua,” the party chairperson Gladys Wanga said on Wednesday during a press conference in Kisumu.
