Deputy President Kithure Kindiki challenged government protocol on Monday, August 31, after Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi was redirected to a separate podium during a special session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) in Karen, Nairobi. Kindiki presided over the meeting attended by several governors and senior national government officials, including Abdullahi, who is the Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG). The moment arose when Kindiki invited Abdullahi to deliver his remarks. As the Wajir governor approached the lectern where the Deputy President had been speaking, protocol officials directed him to a separate podium. Kindiki immediately questioned the arrangement, asking why Abdullahi could not use the lectern he had been addressing the meeting from.
“If he uses my podium, what will happen to me? Leave these old-fashioned things; they are useless,” Kindiki said.
His remarks prompted a brief exchange over the protocol governing the use of designated lecterns during government functions. Kindiki’s intervention effectively questioned the need for the distinction at the meeting, although the established protocol was subsequently explained when Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale was given an opportunity to speak. Duale, who previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Defence, told Kindiki that government protocol does not permit other officials to use the Deputy President’s designated podium during official functions.
“Your Excellency, with your indulgence, as a former Minister for Defense, we will not use your podium, it is not allowed in government,” Duale said.
The exchange provided a lighter moment during an otherwise formal meeting involving senior officials from both levels of government.
The incident occurred during a Special Session of IBEC, a forum established to facilitate consultation and cooperation between the national and county governments on matters relating to public finance and economic management. Kindiki chaired the session in his capacity as Deputy President, while Abdullahi attended as the chairperson of the Council of Governors, which represents Kenya’s 47 county governments. The council provides a platform for national and county governments to discuss matters affecting the implementation of devolved functions and the financing of county governments. The special session brought together national government officials and governors for discussions within IBEC’s mandate.
The disagreement over the lectern did not disrupt the proceedings of the meeting but Instead, highlighted the formal protocols applied to government functions involving senior state officials. While Kindiki questioned the practical importance of preventing Abdullahi from using the same lectern, Duale explained that the restriction forms part of established government protocol. The exchange ended without further confrontation, and the meeting continued with other officials delivering their remarks from designated podiums.
Kindiki’s comments, however, drew attention to the balance between formal government protocol and the practical conduct of official meetings. The incident did not affect the substantive business of the IBEC session, which continued after the brief exchange. The meeting brought together national and county government representatives at a time when intergovernmental discussions remain important in addressing matters concerning county financing, resource allocation and coordination between the two levels of government.