The Council of Governors has fired Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga after he appeared to celebrate the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The governor made the remarks at a burial ceremony in Kieni East, Nyeri County, on Tuesday, October 21. The cold and heartless remarks have caused widespread condemnation and uproar, with calls for resignation and impeachment getting louder.
In a quick rejoinder, CoG said it had resolved to dismiss the governor from the Council’s leadership with immediate effect.
“Following a special Council meeting on the recent utterances made by the CoG Vice Chair H.E Mutahi Kahiga on the demise of the late Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, the Council has resolved to remove H.E Kahiga from the Vice Chair position with immediate effect,” said CoG chair, Ahmed Abdullai.
In the video, Governor Mutahi Kahiga implied that Raila Odinga’s death on October 15, 2025, was a form of “divine intervention” that disrupted political plans perceived to marginalize the Mt. Kenya region.
“If you look closely, all things, national resources, were being sent to Western and Nyanza, because apparently, we (Agikuyu) were not in their plans. But God came and heard our (Agikuyu) cries, and He did His wonders!” said the Nyeri Governor.
Council of Governors Convene Meeting Over Mutahi Kahiga Remarks
Governors convened an extraordinary council meeting, expressing disappointment over the remarks made by Governor Kahiga.
“The Council of Governors registers its deep disappointment in the unfortunate utterances by Governor Mutahi Kahiga of Nyeri County.
As the Council of Governors, we wish to completely disassociate ourselves from the sentiments expressed by Governor Kahiga. These are personal remarks and do not reflect or represent the views of the Council of Governors, especially during this period of national mourning,” read the official Council of Governors’ statement.
Also Read: A Tribute to Raila Odinga: The Hero, the Strategist, and the Contradiction
The Council described Governor Kahiga’s comments as reckless, insensitive, and inhumane, terming them unacceptable, particularly as they appeared to celebrate the death of a national leader on the basis of political calculations.
The Council added that Raila Odinga was, and will forever remain, a statesman whose contributions are firmly embedded in the annals of Kenya’s history.
Dr. Mutahi Kahiga, who started as a primary school teacher, is the Vice Chairperson of the CoG.
Following the incident, several political leaders have publicly condemned Kahiga’s statements.
ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, a colleague of Kahiga at the Council of Governors, expressed deep disappointment and called for his immediate resignation as Vice Chair of the Council.
“As Kahiga’s colleague, I am ashamed of his words. I am offended, as the Chairperson of ODM and a believer in Raila Odinga and what he bequeathed to our country. I take serious offense at Kahiga’s outbursts.
Kahiga must immediately resign as Vice Chair of the Council of Governors,” said Wanga.
Leaders Call for Resignation of Nyeri Governor as Vice Chair of COG
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, also a member of the Council, condemned the remarks as “callous and irresponsible.”
“The remarks made today by my colleague, Nyeri Governor Kahiga, are not just unfortunate, they are callous and irresponsible. They do not reflect the views of the leadership or the people of Mt. Kenya.
Let us be clear: politics does not override basic decency. As a people, we stand with the rest of Kenya in mourning a great statesman, Raila Odinga, CGH,” she said.
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National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah also weighed in, calling the remarks “reckless and heartless.”
“Kahiga, we will pray for you. How reckless and heartless. I lack words for you. But having been recently bereaved, I know all I can do now is pray hard for you, pray that God may give you a little wisdom.
And I pray you weren’t speaking on behalf of your boss, because parrots tend to repeat what they’ve heard their master say,” Ichung’wah said.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa went further, alleging that Governor Mutahi Kahiga had been sent by President William Ruto and that the remarks were made to imply that it had the backing of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“When I said, ‘Sometimes silence is not absence. Sometimes, it’s leadership,’ I meant it!
To make us talk, they have unleashed their General Blabla, who is on Githinji’s payroll. But we will maintain our silence, since we are still in tero buru,” said the Senator, referencing the Luo mourning ritual,” the Kiambu Senator said.
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