A lot still needs to be done to ensure a smooth transition from a centralised government system to a devolved one, Kenya’s Second Governors Conference to take stock of devolution concluded.

With the August 27 deadline for enacting various laws for the full implementation of the 2010 Constitution looming, Isaac Ruto, chairman of the Council of Governors, while issuing the score card for the two years, noted that most of the 47 counties have achieved average success, managing the devolved functions such as health, in the face of insufficient funding. He pointed out that some of the devolved functions overlap, causing friction between the county governments and the central government.

The participants noted that devolution is a key tool for economic transformation, as the citizens take control of their priorities, unlike in the centralised system, which has been blamed for the marginalisation of certain regions.

President Uhuru Kenyatta — whose government is often accused by the opposition of frustrating counties — said that devolution lies at the heart of the national transformation plan and pledged strong support for it.

“Devolution is the single greatest economic and sociopolitical innovation of our Constitution,” the President said while opening the three-day conference.

He cited Huduma Kenya, an initiative launched by the Ministry of Devolution to provide government services across the country as one of the successes.

The counties are being governed by the leaders of the residents’ choice and get 15 per cent of the national budget, plus equalisation funds for the marginalised regions.

Mr Ruto said the counties collectively still have a shortfall of Ksh75 billion ($783 million) annually.

Services have been brought closer to the people, who also have a bigger say on the quality.

A recent opinion poll showed that the majority of Kenyans support devolution because it brings leadership closer to the people and improves service provision.

The leader of the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy Raila Odinga said that people were now taking control of their destiny and focusing on their priorities rather than waiting for the national government to serve them.

He gave the example of Turkana County — one of the most marginalised regions in Kenya — which has managed to cut distance to the nearest hospital from 55km to 35km in two years, and doubled education bursaries from $1.5 million to $3 million in the current financial year.

Shortage of staff

“At no one time in the last 50 years did the Government of Kenya allocate such an amount of money to the education of Turkana children. Rural health services that long suffered inadequate financing; dilapidated physical facilities; unreliable supply of drugs; absence of adequate medical equipment; and shortage of qualified medical staff have changed,” he said.

Roads that existed only on maps are now a reality for several countries. In others, solar lighting in every market centre allows traders to conduct their business late into the evening safely, and still make it home through well-lit neighbourhoods.

Other participants cited the provision of ambulances, bursaries for school and university students, irrigation projects and greenhouses for groups.