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Let’s reflect on how far devolution has come
Governors during the Biennial Devolution Conference at Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County on August 17, 2023.
As the flags of all 47 counties converge in Homa Bay this week for the Devolution Conference, the air is thick with expectation, and deservedly so.
The conference serves as a grand homecoming for Kenya’s counties and what I would consider a national mirror moment to reflect on how far we have come, what we have achieved and the transformative potential that still lies ahead in our devolved system of governance.
As we celebrate, we must also reflect. Devolution, as enshrined in the 2010 Constitution, was a promise of equity, inclusion, and inclusive development. A promise to bring the government closer to the people.
A promise that no part of Kenya would ever again be left behind. The journey has not been easy. The terrain has often been rough, and the road long. But today, 12 years in, there is no doubt that Kenya is better.
Consider this: counties once invisible on the development map are now vibrant hubs of activity. Health centres have sprung up where none existed. Roads, water projects, ECDE centres, and economic empowerment programmes are transforming lives in villages that were once forgotten. In many parts of the country, children are now in school, mothers are delivering safely in health facilities, and youth are being trained and empowered to become job creators—all because of devolution.
Prudent resource management
I speak from experience. In Kiambu County, where I have had the honour of serving as governor for nearly three years, we have made unprecedented progress through prudent resource management.
Our own source revenue has grown from Sh2.9 billion in 2022 to Sh5.45 billion in the last financial year, without increasing any levies. Instead, we tightened systems by installing an Enterprise Resource Planning system (REP), eliminated wastage, and promoted accountability.
With these funds, complemented by the equitable share from the National Treasury, we have delivered six Level Four hospitals, renovated existing ones, built 26 new Level Three facilities and constructed 312 ECDE centres across the county with a holistic feeding programme that provides our 39, 600 learners with uji daily, three boiled eggs per week and a packet of milk every Thursday, among other flagship projects.
We have equipped health institutions with modern medical tools such as X-rays, ultrasounds, endoscopy machines, digitisation of our healthcare system and others, expanded access to clean water and launched wide-reaching empowerment programmes targeting women and youth.
The results speak for themselves: over 100, 000 women who received improved kienyeji chicks are now thriving poultry farmers while approximately 10, 000 youth, who were given piglets, are succeeding in agribusiness. Food security is no longer a distant dream thanks to our free maize seed and fertiliser distribution to more than 500, 000 farmers across all 60 wards. The list includes the installation of 12, 000 solar streetlights, an increased bursary kitty from Sh100 million per year to Sh500 million, new bus parks, stadiums, and markets.
But we must not turn a blind eye to the challenges. Mismanagement, corruption, delayed disbursements, and inadequate capacity continue to hinder the full realisation of devolution’s promise. These are not minor administrative issues but existential threats to the future of devolved governance and must be addressed decisively.
Boldest aspirations
That is why this conference presents a critical opportunity for honest stocktaking, for candid conversations, for mutual learning, and for replicating what works while avoiding known pitfalls. Peer learning among counties must be at the heart of this forum. Let us not shy away from the hard questions or from sharing our boldest aspirations. If we are to accelerate progress, we must ask: Are our initiatives sustainable? Are they inclusive? Are we reaching the most vulnerable? Are we transparent and accountable in how we use public funds?
As we look to the next frontier, let us never forget that the soul of devolution is the people. The single mother in a rural village who now has a dispensary nearby. The child who no longer walks 10 kilometres to reach a nursery school. The youth who now earns a living through a county-funded skills programme. These are the real measures of our success.
As we gather under the warm skies and generous hospitality of Homa Bay, I urge all delegates to listen, learn, and share. Let us use this moment not only to assess our journey so far, but to recommit ourselves to building a Kenya where every county prospers.
The writer is the Governor of Kiambu County
