The just-concluded Devolution Conference on Friday turned dramatic after governors denied Deputy President William Ruto's Chief of Staff to preside over the ceremony.
DP Ruto was expected to address the governors on the last day of the conference but, instead sent his Chief of Staff Ken Osinde to represent him as he proceeded to a political rally in Nyandarua.
Ruto was in Nyandarua pushing his Bottom-Up Economic Agenda to the people as he tries to rally them behind him ahead of the 2022 General Election.
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The governors, however, denied Osinde the chance to address them and instead blocked him from attending the conference.
The County Chiefs claimed that the move by Ruto to send his Chief of Staff to address them was a sign of disrespect to them.
"We expected the DP to attend and preside over the closing of the conference. As governors, we consider this conference as an international event and not every person can execute such an important function," Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said.
The governors also denied Osinde to plant a tree on behalf of Ruto to show his support for environmental conservation. They instead opted to leave the hole Ruto was expected to plant empty with the tree beside it.
Ruto was, however, replaced by Cabinet Secretary of Defence Eugene Wamalwa as the Conference's chief guest.
"Thank you for responding to our call to attend this conference at the last minute as our guest," Chair of Council of Governors Martin Wambora said.
