County leaders should embrace goals of devolution

Opinion and Analysis

Some of the 23 tractors bought by the Kisumu county government in March to help improve food production and locals’ incomes. While some counties have impressive projects, others are yet to launch any tangible development initiatives. PHOTO | FILE 

By COLLINS ODOTE

In Summary

• It is time citizens became more vigilant and ensured that money is put to good use.

I take a break from my normal writings on the extractive industry to focus on an aspect of our country’s development that is slowly transforming the country and people’s lives.

That issue is devolution. When Kenyans voted for the new Constitution in August 2010, they were making a statement on the disparate levels of development across the country and their determination to reverse that unfortunate state of affairs.

They wanted a country where the state of development in Mai Mahiu would be equitable to that in Homa Bay, that of Garissa would compete with that of Galole. To do so, they chose through the Constitution to have two levels of government — national and county.

These levels would collaborate and discharge their different mandates under a coordinated process, while respecting the unity of the nation.

One of the key aims of devolution is to improve social and economic development at the local levels. County leadership is required to use the resources allocated to them from public coffers to ensure that services are delivered to the people and their livelihoods improved.

Resources

They are also empowered by both the Constitution and laws on devolution and public financial management to raise resources locally to complement those from taxpayers through the budgetary process.

In addition, they can raise resources from outside Kenya. In short, county governments have resource abilities and accompanying power to transform their counties.

Travelling through Kenya one sees commendable work being undertaken by the leadership at the county level.

I have been privileged to travel to many counties across the length and breadth of this country. In the process I have witnessed the phenomenal work that many governors are undertaking with support of other leaders at the county level.

But amidst these there are also counties where some of the bad practices of the previous 50 years have been taken root.

In these instances, there is very little change that has occurred at the local level close to two years after county leaders came to power. Citizens who went to the polls in 2013 with high expectations that they would see greater socio-economic development are starting to be restless.

They struggle to identify meaningful initiatives started by their county governments. It is not enough for counties to ride on the failures of the past centralised government as a justification for some of their below par performances.

Citizens are aware of the mistakes of the past, hence their overwhelming vote for devolution in 2010.

They expected and still do expect that counties will deliver and live to their expectations and the huge promise of the Constitution. Many are already doing commendable jobs.