Governor Kahiga stirs ethnic tensions yet again

The Kenyan political scene has once more been dragged into shame, courtesy of Governor Mutahi Kahiga’s reckless remarks.

Few politicians in this country seem to specialize in courting idiocy the way Kahiga does.

His crude and insensitive comments following the death of Raila Odinga laid bare his shocking lack of common sense.

On Tuesday night, when the controversial clip went viral, his peers in the Council of Governors WhatsApp group, which was seen by The Standard, went all hammer and tongs at Kahiga.

 His biggest critics were Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire.

The next day, Wednesday morning, during the Council of Governors meeting in which he was stripped of his role as deputy chairman, all leaders present criticized him, with the exception of the Meru Governor, who pleaded that Kahiga should be summoned to explain himself. His suggestion was shot down.

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa revealed that Kahiga was unanimously removed from his position as the Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Governors (COG) earlier Wednesday morning, moments before he called a press conference to announce his resignation.

He condemned Governor Kahiga’s recent remarks, describing them as “unfortunate and uncalled for in a democratic society.”

Kahiga turned a moment that should have been marked by national mourning into a circus, with him as an appalling clown celebrating the death of another man.

The viral clip sweeping social media shows a man appearing to cash in politically on the demise of Raila.

“For a county governor to behave in such a manner is disgraceful. His weak apology shows no true remorse and only adds insult to injury. I thought he was wiser than that. He is completely uncalled for and very regrettable. For a leader of his stature, it goes on to show he is the type of leader we don’t need in the country. We have made a lot of strides to get out of tribal politics. He is taking us back where we left years ago,” says Bishop David Muriithi.

The founder of House of Grace Church added, “To hear him claim these were just his ‘personal views,’ with no community or political backing, is a poor excuse. Leaders are supposed to set examples, not act as agents sowing seeds of discord.”

What is even more shocking is the setting of his remarks — a burial ceremony.

Even there, where a family was mourning its kin, Kahiga could not resist turning sorrow into political clownery to score cheap political points. Senator Richard Onyonka says what Kahiga did is morally wrong and politically sad. “This isn’t just noise; it shows that Kenyans are sick of public figures who use their platforms to spread tribal hatred. He is playing a dangerous game in an already stewing political climate. We have had worse utterances from politicians and Kenyans are getting tired,” says Onyonka.

This type of behaviour isn’t new for Kahiga. It is impossible to look at Kahiga’s history of divisive utterances without seeing a pattern. His political career is littered with numerous examples of reckless, ethnically charged speeches.

In February 2025, he spewed tribal bigotry against the Maasai community. He later apologised. Early in the year, he also publicly insulted Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata. An avid follower of deposed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kahiga again fanned ethnic hatred this year when he criticised why Bungoma had a stadium better than Nyeri, yet owed its shareholders development.

Kahiga has, over and over again, shown he values personal grudges, tribal thinking and scoring political points above the nation’s welfare.

“Being kicked out as Vice Chair of the Council of Governors should have come sooner. Such a position requires dignity, especially in today’s political landscape. Instead, Kahiga has become a poster boy for tribal animosity. His disrespect also tarnishes the legacy of Raila Odinga, a leader who, regardless of political divides, contributed hugely to Kenya’s democracy. To treat his memory with such words is to mock the man who recently died,” says lawyer Fidel Limo.

Kahiga’s reaction to the backlash has been predictable: a shallow apology and a press statement without remorse. He quickly resigned from the vice-chair position after realising his peers were going to kick him out.

In a press statement, Kahiga offered a threadbare apology, saying that “God takes the best” and that his comments merely reflected on the loss of Odinga.

His explanation is flimsy. “The clip was taken while attending a burial in my home village.

My remarks were in no way celebratory. What I meant is that under the current broad-based government, we have seen skewed development and politically, the loss of the Rt. Hon. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga sends everyone back to the drawing board.

As the popular saying goes, ‘God takes the best,’ and it is in this context that I made those remarks in vernacular. Let me make it clear that the remarks I made are my personal views and therefore should in no way be associated with a community’s position or any political affiliation nor the Council of Governors,” reads his statement.

The outrage on social media is loud and clear, with many demanding that he should resign and face legal consequences for what borders on hate speech.

Eric Kivuva, Law Society of Kenya Nairobi Branch chairman, says leadership is a sacred duty that demands respect for all citizens.

“These are qualities alien to Kahiga. At a time when Kenya grapples with ethnic and political divisions, leaders like Kahiga only deepen wounds. The damage from such behaviour is dangerous. Kahiga should stop using the dead for self-promotion. Kahiga has proven beyond doubt that he is unfit for leadership,” says Kivuva.