Embu Governor Martin Wambora elected Council of Governors chairman

Embu Governor Martin Wambora elected Council of Governors chairman

Embu Governor Martin Wambora has been elected Council of Governors chairman.

Wambora contested for the seat alongside Tana River Governor Godhana Dhadho.

He now takes over from Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who has served in the position since January 2019.

Wambora becomes the fifth Council of Governors Chairman after Isaac Ruto (Former Bomet Governor); Peter Munya (former Meru Governor and now Agriculture CS); Josphat Nanok (Turkana Governor) and Oparanya.

The election that was held at Mövenpick Hotel, Nairobi also saw Kisii Governor James Ongwae elected as Vice Chairman of the council.

EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue congratulated Governor Wambora saying: “The European Union looks forward to engaging the new CoG leadership and offers our support to move the devolution agenda forward. We thank Governor Oparanya and his team for the steady leadership and cooperation during their tenure.”

Deputy Ambassador of Denmark who spoke on behalf of the Chairperson Devolution Donor Working Group commended the Council of Governors for the smooth transmission of power over the years.

Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission Lyn Mengich urged the incoming leadership to address the wage bill which she said is a critical agenda.

Also present during the event was Mr. Walid Badawi, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya.

“I congratulate the outgoing leadership of the Council of Governors for a job well done delivering devolution while contending with the greatest challenge of our time: COVID-19. UNDP in Kenya looks forward to working with new leadership,” he said.

In January 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the election of Wambora as Embu Governor.

In their ruling, the Judges said that Wambora was validly elected citing lack of merit in the petition by Lenny Kivuti.

In August 2018, the Court of Appeal had overturned a High Court decision that nullified Wambora’s 2017 election.

The Appellate Court ruled that the learned judge erred in Law by nullifying the election of Wambora.

The High Court had nullified the election of Wambora on February 22,2018 after a successful petition filed by former Senator Lenny Kivuti.

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Wambora Council of Governors chairman

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