Raila Odinga: Devolution has greatly benefited Kenyans

Kisumu, Kenya: CORD leader Raila Odinga during the second devolution conference held in Kisumu, praised devolution and he stated that it has made amazing achievements and its fruits trickle down to supporters and opponents alike.

Those who voted for or against the constitution have equal chance to benefit from its fruits. It is the story of Devolution in Kenya.

We may debate how the counties are being governed. But there can be no doubt that voters want their counties to be supported and strengthened, not wound up or undermined.

Devolution has many challenges. Corruption cartels have commandeered many county governments. Unrepentant believers in the old order are fighting devolved units in the false hope that they can reverse the clock.

Some elected leaders have confused their oversight role with execution, pitting county assemblies against county executives.

Some of the County governments are too tiny to benefit from economies of scale.  Nearly all county governments are serving populations grounded in decades of poverty. Many sectors with direct impact on citizens have not been fully devolved.  Although Health is devolved, it has serious challenges with regard to funding and personnel.  Agriculture and infrastructure are not fully devolved, but people expect the County governments to deliver on them.  In these partially devolved areas, County and National Government Development plans are creating conflicting priorities, confusion and unclear visions. Some counties are bogged down by tribal and clan tension. Nearly all county governments are sagging under the weight of expectations. Voters expected that services that had stalled for fifty years in infrastructure, healthcare, tourism, agriculture and employment would take off immediately under county governments.

By and large however, Devolution is changing our country in ways few imagined. There have been loud concerns about corruption. The activities of some members of the County Assemblies and County Executives have been seen as pushing greed and impunity to new levels, sparking off protests.

But there is a positive side to the protests. They indicate that the people are taking control of their destiny.  In the days of the old order, nobody questioned the PC, the DC or the DO. Too few knew what had been allocated for their development. Development was what the DC or PC said. Devolution has come with a new boss; the people. Development is what the people say it should be.

The National Government has handed over more powers to politicians and institutions elsewhere in Migori, Muranga, Mombasa, Turkana, Kericho, Bomet and elsewhere. What we do with those powers are absolutely up to us.

Results are trickling everywhere.