ODM leader Raila Odinga and Council of Governors chair Ahmed Abdullahi have urged Parliament to grant pension benefits to county governors, warning that many former leaders are facing serious financial difficulties.

Speaking on the second day of the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County, Odinga said the law should be amended to ensure governors who serve two terms receive automatic pension, just as MPs do.

“Parliament amended the law to give pensions to MPs after two terms in office. Why can we not do the same for governors? A governor who has served two terms needs to be entitled automatically to a pension,” he said, urging lawmakers to take up the matter. “Members of Parliament should seize this matter and go and move an amendment in Parliament.”

Odinga’s remarks came shortly after Abdullahi had raised concerns over the financial plight of many former governors.

The Wajir Governor noted that some cannot even afford basic necessities, including fuel for official duties, and questioned why pensions exist for MPs and an impending law will grant them to Members of County Assembly (MCAs), yet governors are excluded.

“A lot of the governors who left office are in a dire state economically. There is an impending law to give a pension to MCAs,” said Abdullahi.

He also called for medical cover for county leaders who have served the country, adding, “Yesterday we heard how there’s an impending law to give pension to MCAs. MPs have pension, why can’t governors have pension? Why do we want to pride as a nation that our governors, some of whom have served two terms, don’t even have medical cover?”

Abdullahi further criticised what he described as the selective targeting of governors in corruption investigations.

Three have been impeached so far, two on corruption-related charges, with one serving a sentence but currently out on bond pending appeal. Several others have faced impeachment attempts or ongoing threats from county assemblies.

“Your Excellency, as a Council of Governors, we feel that the fight against corruption has unfairly targeted governors and it has been a case of calling devolution a bad name so that along the way, there’s reason to kill it,” he said.

“That’s not to say there’s no corruption in counties; we have admitted as Kenyans that corruption pervades every aspect of our lives. All we are saying is let’s fight all corruption.”

Odinga also faulted the Senate’s practice of summoning governors to appear before committees in Nairobi, saying this was not their role.

“County governments are supposed to be overseen by County Assemblies, not the Senate. Senate doesn’t have to be summoning governors to go to appear before them in Nairobi,” he said.