First time governors on the edge as one-term euphoria rock counties

When they walked into office in 2022 armed with blistering manifestos, vigour of a political freshling, and some backed by the influential hand of their political godfathers, many Kenyans were waiting to see how the new crop of first-term governors would manage counties.

With barely a year remaining before the next General Elections, however, the dreams of transformation that many had hoped for are rapidly fleeting away as financial mismanagement, incompetence, and underperformance cloud the tenure of several first-term governors, threatening to condemn their tenure into a single stint in power.

Some are now clinging to hope that their support for  President William Ruto’s reelection campaign will translate to their own wins as they clutch on various tools and strategies for political survival.

Observers believe the situation is more complicated for governors who relied on the late ODM leader Raila Odinga’s political clout for survival.

“The pioneer governors tried to prove that devolution is working and laid infrastructure. But the first-term governors now face the challenge of much expectation on performance as citizens are more aware of the responsibilities of county governments. The current governors have to show what they have done with the billions of shillings of public funds,” opines Mombasa lawyer and political analyst  Aboubakar Yusuf.

The Sunday Standard has established that a majority of the first-term governors are barely surviving and are struggling to navigate through political storms that have knocked on their doors.

Governors Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Simba Arati (Kisii), Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi), James Orengo (Siaya), Paul Otuoma (Busia) and Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta) are living in uncertain times as problems for their administrations mount.

Others who are feeling the heat from rivals over their performances ahead of next year’s General Elections are Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Isaac Mutuma (Meru) and Moses Badilisha (Nyandarua), 

In nearly all the regions, governors serving their first term are barely surviving as they piece together a campaign strategy that observers believe has little content in development.

In Mount Kenya, UDA national chairperson Cecily Mbarire is sailing through a rough patch amid claims of wasteful spending by her administration.

Instead, the UDA operative has channelled her strength to revive President Ruto’s support in the region as former Dice President Rigathi Gachagua rallies the region to reject her, alongside other allies of President Ruto. 

This week, Wanga, whose stay in power is facing turbulent times, was at pains to explain alleged financial misappropriation by her administration when she appeared before the Senate.

She is among a crop of first-term governors navigating a changed political terrain worsened by fresh political realignments and their own failures.

Wanga, who rose to governorship courtesy of a brokered political deal by the late Raila Odinga that saw other candidates drop their bids to support her, is facing a rough moment as questions over her leadership continue to emerge.

With Raila gone, Wanga has sought refuge in President William Ruto’s political umbrella as she bids to win another term.

Fault lines have, however, appeared in her support as residents question reports indicating that her administration could not account for over Sh700 million that had been collected from public health facilities, sparking a backlash from her constituents.

Senate County Public Accounts Committee also opened an inquiry into the controversial financing of the Sh820 million county headquarters, with senators raising concerns over the nature of the transactions, further taunting her tenure in power.

Wanga, who appeared before the Senate chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, had a difficult time explaining the whereabouts of the Sh700.45 million collected from 24 health facilities in the county for the last one year.

But she is not alone. In Western and Nyanza region, nearly all governors are struggling to balance between service delivery, racing against time, and dealing with their competitors who have already launched bids to distract and dislodge them and are crisscrossing their respective counties.

For Otuoma of Busia, Trans Nzoia’s George Natembeya and Barasa of Kakamega, critics and competitors have accused them of failing to deliver on their mandate and instead focussing on national and regional politics.

Governor Barasa is facing competition from Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, ODM Women Representative Elsie Muhanda, DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala, and a host of MPs.

His critics have accused him of failing to take Kakamega to greater heights, and that he has failed to finish stalled projects he found and inherited from his predecessor.

Political pundits opine that the development scorecard will determine the reelection of the first-time governors and not national politics, adding that in some cases development is more of a perception when there is a lack of charters signed for the implementation of certain projects.

Governor Otuoma is facing mounting pressure and competition from politicians such as Arthur Osiya, the Principal Secretary in the Executive Office of the President,  Vincent Sidai and Busia County Assembly Speaker Fred Odilo.

Otuoma, an ODM governor, has been accused of failing to improve the health sector, especially the limping Busia County Referral Hospital.

A Senate watchdog says the hospital also lacks a functional ambulance, a dialysis machine, and an oxygen plant.

Similarly, Senator Okiya Omtatah has intensified his criticisms against Otuoma and believes the governor has failed the devolved unit.

Political analyst Dismas Mokua argues that first term governors seeking a second term are going to face significant challenges if they have invested time doing national politics and whipping tribal nationalism.

“The absence of Raila Odinga, for instance, will complicate Otuoma’s second term campaign strategy. Tribal and clan based strategies will take a back seat as voters pay attention to the Fourth Schedule performance indicators,” said Mokua.

At the Coast, governors are navigating through a changed political terrain shaped by the formation of the broad-based government and Odinga’s death even as the clock ticks towards the 2027 general election.

Observers say Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Kwale’s Fatuma Achani, Mung’aro (Kilifi) and Mwadime of Taita Taveta face uncertainties and will have to rely more on their performance to sail through the next polls.

In Mombasa County, Yusuf observes that although pioneer governor Hassan Joho did not do much, residents had hope on Nassir on job creation for the youth in the blue economy sector, and improved healthcare services. But there is little to show so far.

Joho was credited with the construction of cabro roads and pavements as well as improvement of the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital and the establishment of its four outreach hospitals across the county.

Mombasa politician Matano Chengo expressed disappointment at the performance of first term governors in the region and urged them to up their game or be sent home by voters in 2027.

“These governors, particularly Nassir, were assisted to get to their seats but are yet to make a mark in their regions. Mombasa is a sad affair because most of the projects recommended during public participation are not implemented,” he argued.

In Taita Taveta County, Governor Mwadime has been fighting wars with the county assembly while residents have persistently complained about a collapsing health sector where hospitals lack drugs.

Mwadime, an Independent governor who recently allied himself to President William Ruto, faces stiff challenge from Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, immediate former governor Granton Samboja and a Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) manager Anderson Mtalaki.

In Kilifi, Governor Mung’aro has mainly faced the challenge of strikes from health workers, erratic water supply and unresolved land conflicts.

Both Mung’aro and Nassir had benefited from the endorsement by Raila in 2022 but they now have to navigate their own course while in the ODM faction that is friendly to President Ruto.