Governors condemn Kahiga's utterances on Raila's death, remove him from Vice Chair post

Addressing the press on Wednesday in Nairobi, CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said that Kahiga's remarks were his own and do not reflect the views of the Council.

He added that Governors have unanimously ousted Kahiga from the Vice Chair's position.

"We wish to reiterate our deep disappointment in the governor...We condemn these utterances, which were both untimely and unacceptable—especially during this period of national mourning," said Abdullahi.

He further noted that the Council will announce its next meeting to elect a new Vice Chairperson.

"The CoG extends its sincere apologies to the family of the late Odinga on behalf of the 47 counties, as we continue to mourn together with them," he noted.

Governor Kahiga sparked outrage on Tuesday at a burial ceremony in Nyeri, after he suggested that Odinga's death was God's plan to get the Mt Kenya region back to benefiting from State resources that had been diverted elsewhere.

In the short video that has gone viral on social media, Kahiga claimed that the political arrangement between President William Ruto and the late Odinga had shifted government development priorities toward the Nyanza region.

"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. 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," Kahiga said in Kikuyu dialect.

"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 smoothen things up there."

He however resigned from the CoG position on Wednesday morning, apologising for the comments.

"I want to apologize 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."

"I am taking responsibility and resigning with immediate effect as the vice chair of the Council of Governors," stated Kahiga, who was elected vice chair of COG on October 6, 2025.

East African Community (EAC) Principal Secretary Dr Caroline Karugu has described Kahiga’s remarks as “silly and deeply unfortunate.”

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who is also the chairperson of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), termed the remarks as “primitive, insensitive, and insulting.”