Deputy President Kithure Kindiki stepped in to ease a brief disagreement during a special meeting of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) after Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi was prevented from using the podium during the session.
A video from the meeting captured Kindiki questioning why Abdullahi, who is also the chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG), could not use his podium.
“If he uses my podium, what would happen to me?” Kindiki was heard asking.
The Deputy President then sought to put the matter to rest, urging those present not to dwell on the disagreement.
“Muache hii, ni mambo ya zamani. These are useless things. He is just next there,” Kindiki said.
He subsequently invited Abdullahi to give brief remarks before the meeting moved on to its scheduled agenda.
“I would want to request my brother, the chair of CoG, to make two or three remarks, and then we start the agenda of the day. Thank you very much and have a good day,” Kindiki said.
Abdullahi later addressed the meeting without using Kindiki’s podium.
The brief exchange took place during a special IBEC session focused on key issues surrounding the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), including the transfer of UHC staff to county governments and the remittance of Social Health Authority (SHA) deductions by counties.
The meeting also assessed progress in the government’s Taifa Care programme, with officials describing the UHC system as one of the most ambitious and transformative health initiatives in the developing world.
