Kagame to give talk as governors meet to discuss progress of devolution

Bomet County governor Isaac Ruto (left) confers with his Vihiga counterpart Moses Akaranga during the Council of governors' meeting held at the Enashipai Spa on November 11, 2013. PHOTO | FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• Friction between the 47 devolved units and the national government among issues to be discussed at the conference
• Rwanda President Paul Kagame will be the first keynote speaker at the meeting and is scheduled to speak on leadership at the opening session

By CAROLINE WAFULA
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The governors’ summit kicks off Monday morning in Naivasha to explore the progress of the devolution and its prospects in the 47 counties.

The high level meeting will discuss issues of leadership, capacity and resource mobilisation, how counties can position themselves to thrive economically and generally, how to make devolution work.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame will be the first keynote speaker at the meeting and is scheduled to speak on leadership at the opening session.

Other keynote speakers of the day are Ambassador Republic of Slovakia Dr Michal Mlynar and Nation Media Group’s Chief Executive Officer Linus Gitahi.

Talks will also be given on various topics by Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Olive Mugenda, PricewaterhouseCoopers board chairman Philip Kinisu and chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Rutto.

AG TO ADDRESS GOVERNORS

Attorney-General Githu Muigai and former MP Ruth Oniang’o, who also is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, will also give talks.

Delegates— who include members of the private sector and all the governors— started arriving yesterday ahead of the official opening.

The meeting will explore public-private partnership model of development in tomorrow’s deliberations.

Delegates are posed to discuss the conflict between the central government and the devolved units.

Discussions will touch on whether county governments’ present activities are aligned to the counties’ long-term benefits and impacts, and whether the various programmes of counties are in line with central government’s development agenda.

The various sessions are meant to enrich the devolution in the country.

Governors will, for instance, be presented with key questions to ponder on such as the kind of legacy they expect to leave behind.

Whether or not counties have been strategic enough, and whether they have come up with appealing programmes and plans for their counties will be examined at length.

Discussions will look into how the various visions of the county governments blend in with Vision 2030— the national economic, political and social development blue-print.

The thorny issue of county finances will also be examined, with discussions focusing on the county financial management system to ensure sound and transparent use of public resources.

The county leadership will also be presented with an opportunity to reflect on the economic strengths of their various governments and whether they have been able to strategise on how to fully exploit the same.

Questions forming the basis of the discussion will revolve around whether the county governments have identified the capabilities required to specialise in their competitive sectors, and whether the regions have developed policies and plans for building the institutional capability required to enhance their economic positioning.

The meeting will further look into whether county leaders have tapped into both local talent in their regions and in the diaspora, and whether they are engaging with other regions in exploiting economic opportunities.

The aspect of innovation to boost the regional economy will also be discussed.

Other aspects to inform the discussion will include the effectiveness of county governments in mobilising resources and providing services, as well as whether counties have positioned themselves to attract, motivate and retain the right skills.

The relationship and engagement between the county leadership and its electorate will also be discussed.

The talk will focus on whether they have helped people in their regions to understand devolution and its benefits, and whether they have shared their plans and visions with their people.

The question of whether county governments are engaging the central government to stimulate economic growth in the their regions will also be discussed.

Governors will also be expected to reflect on how their governments are dealing with emerging global trends such as urbanisation, globalisation, demographic changes, rising unemployment, technological advancement, security, emerging public service delivery models, among others