Kahiga: I regret appointing Karugu my deputy

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga says he regrets picking his deputy, Ms Caroline Karugu, as she no longer attends county functions.

Speaking at the county headquarters on Thursday, Mr Kahiga termed it one of the wrong decisions he has made as governor.

He spoke while addressing the third cohort of interns.

“Sometimes I look at the decisions I make and I think that appointing her as my deputy was wrong,” he said. The two have been at loggerheads for a while now.

Their falling out saw them use social media to hit out at each other on several occasions, which saw employees attached to her office being transferred to other departments.

She is said to have made matters worse when she lauded Kiambu members of the county assembly for impeaching Governor Ferdinand Waititu.

Last year, Mr Kahiga said that he does not see his deputy as she never reports to work.

He accused her of failing to participate in the running of the county and instead choosing to focus on other things.

However, Ms Karugu, who chairs the council of deputy governors, has in the past maintained that the governor had not assigned her any duties and the law was not clear on what her responsibilities were.

Ms Karugu is the third deputy governor in the county after Mr Kahiga was elevated to Governor following the death of the third Governor of Nyeri Wahome Gakuru in a road accident four years ago.

She maintained that she served the people of Nyeri by going to the villages and grassroots level rather than waiting for them in the office.

Mr Kahiga said he had learnt from his mistake and would not repeat it.

He maintained that as he picks his deputy governor for the 2022 elections, where he is expected to defend his seat, he would be more careful.

“It is my fault, it is my mistake and I carry it with me because when that person is not performing, is not here with us, that clearly states one thing that I made a wrong decision,” he added. 

Reached for comment, Ms Karugu said the governor’s roles were clearly defined in the constitution, and accused Mr Kahiga of using her as an excuse for failure to deliver on his mandate.

“He needs to tell the people of Nyeri what he has delivered so far and stop focusing on his deputy whom he has not given any specific duty. I have fulfilled all responsibilities delegated to me at all time,” Ms Karugu said.

“I am also chair of the Council of Deputy Governors and I have lobbied that deputy governors get constitutional duties that are devoid of myopic politics and that help in the development agenda of the counties,” she added.