Raila warns of plot to kill devolution

By Geoffrey Mosoku

Narobi, Kenya: Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned to the political scene and walked straight into the controversy surrounding the role of County Commissioners and Governors in the dawn of devolved system of government.

Raila broke his silence since Saturday when he last publicly spoke after accepting the Supreme Court verdict on his petition challenging the president elect Uhuru Kenyatta’s win which was upheld by judges.

He fingered at a section of old order forces keen on killing devolution.

And shooting straight in his characteristic mien, Raila said President Kibaki was wrong on his backing for County Commissioners and calls for unitary State.

Said Raila: “Kibaki’s remarks are a testament of the people in government who still want the old order of concentrating resources in the centre. I urge County bosses to resist this plot to take Kenya back to the old order.”

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“Article 6(2) of the Constitution talks of two levels of governments-the national and County which distinct and interdependent and shall conduct their mutual relations on the basis of consultation and cooperation.”

Raila asked governors to occupy offices of PCs and DCs and start executing their duties.

“The governor as an elected leader is the link between the central government and the people.” Raila said.

He made remarks after a consultative meeting with Nairobi County Assembly CORD representatives at a Nairobi Hotel where he was asked to respond to emerging issues on devolution.

He spoke a day after governors complained of attempts to frustrate their work by a section of central government officials while they were attending a an orientation workshop in Naivasha.

The Governors had clashed with central government over budget allocations and walked out of the Transition Authority’s conference.

The Governors accused the central government of lacking goodwill to implement the devolved system of government.

The governors complained of how they were being dictated to on how to spend Sh9.8 billion set aside for counties.