Salasya warns governors against using Raila as political shield
By Ascah Mwango, August 20, 2025Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has cautioned county governors against leaning on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for political protection.
In a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the youthful legislator said governors should stop relying on Raila’s popularity and influence to advance their own political interests.
Salasya argued that some governors were using Raila as a shield to deflect criticism and consolidate their positions, instead of building their own political credibility.
He added that the time had come for leaders to take responsibility for their actions and ambitions, rather than hiding behind Raila’s rhetoric and long-standing influence in the country’s politics.
“And by the way, governors must stop outsourcing their political legitimacy to Raila Odinga. The era of hiding behind his rhetoric is over. He’s being used as an influencer for their political interests and ambitions,” Salasya stated.
Pension perks
His remarks come just days after Raila proposed changes in the law to ensure governors who serve two terms are automatically entitled to a pension.
Speaking on Thursday, August 14, during the second day of the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, Raila said governors deserve equal treatment to Members of Parliament when it comes to retirement benefits.
“The governors have mentioned it, that governors serve the counties, and they can serve one term or two terms,” Raila told delegates.
“I’ve got a number of governors who have served two terms. In Parliament, we did an amendment so that any Member of Parliament who serves two terms is automatically entitled to a pension. Why can we not do the same thing for the governors?”
The Orange Democratic Movement leader emphasised that the proposal would be fair given the weight of responsibilities governors shoulder while in office.
“A governor who has served two terms needs to be entitled automatically to a pension,” he said.
Raila urged MPs to introduce legislation to address the matter.
“This is a recommendation that should come from Homa Bay, and Members of Parliament should seize this matter,” he added.
Kenya is marking over a decade of devolved governance under the 2010 Constitution. Governors, elected for a maximum of two five-year terms, are at the centre of managing local resources, delivering services, and driving development at the grassroots. Unlike MPs, however, governors are not guaranteed automatic pension benefits after completing their terms.