Good work going on in counties

As the annual devolution conference got underway in my neighbouring Meru County, I couldn’t help but marvel at the progress the country has made in three years.

A devolved system of government has shown that participation in governance at the grassroots level can bring about tremendous progress on the social, political and economic fronts.

The staggering progress in most of the 47 countries tells a story of determination, leadership and focus.

In most of these (if not all) half a century of a centralised form of government engenders misery, wretched poverty, nepotism, ineptitude, corruption, wastage and in some cases, post-election violence.

The unveiling of the 2010 Constitution, which has Devolution as one of its key pillars, has rewritten that history. Power and resources have been dispersed from the centre.

A new, people-centred form of government was unleashed on the country, unlocking great possibilities. And three years later, there is a lot to be proud of despite a sometimes overbearing Executive:

In Narok, roads have made it easy to take produce to the market in good time; in Lamu and Turkana, the people feel they are a part of the whole; in Kisumu, partnerships have been forged to market local produce and tackle age-old challenges like malaria, cholera and HIV/Aids.

In Wajir, Mandera, Garissa and other Northern Frontier regions, Government has come so close, they can even touch it. There is a renewed sense of happiness and satisfaction.

The governor of Mandera County Ali Roba crowned this euphoric feeling. Nearly 450 new teachers were recruited by the county government to replace those that fled the county as a result of security challenges last year.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, an abandoned game reserve has been revived, guaranteeing jobs and livelihood for thousands.

But challenges abound.

Switzerland is a good example of a devolved society. The concepts of devolution of power, local autonomy, and participatory democracy have produced the world’s most peaceful and prosperous country.

Of course, Switzerland, with its compulsory military service, state-controlled monetary system, railroad and telephone services, and taxation, is not a pure libertarian society – but for those interested in reining in out-of-control governments in other parts of the world, there are large parts of the Swiss system that are worthy of emulation. Compared to countries like Switzerland where devolution has taken root and where sub-national governments in fact, allocate funds to the national government and not vice versa, we in Kenya have still a long way to go to entrench devolution.

We have no option, but to support devolution even when one feels all is not well with how the current crop of leadership is managing our funds and other resources. I am not saying this because of the funds coming to counties from the shared revenue through the national treasury. The amounts received at the moment in my view are meant to trigger the development of an environment that improves the quality of life for all.

What will cause a disruption and be of great impact is revenue generated at the grassroots. The allocation from the Exchequer is merely seed money and most definitely not meant for large development projects with huge impacts.

Nakuru governor Kinuthia Mbugua reported an increase in revenue generation from less than a billion shillings to Sh2.5 billion, a staggering 250 per cent increase annually. And he added that is still below the actual potential and expectations. Such reports give me hope that county governments can give the requisite environment for growth and improve the quality of life across the country.

And I tell you what, the success stories I heard this past week demonstrate that Devolution is not a conduit for corruption, ineptitude and lethargy as it has been made to look. Rather, it is a choice-giver, a door-opener and the Great Leveller. All are equal: Nairobi and Baringo; Turkana and Kiambu; Nairobi and Kwale.

Back to the Swiss analogy, the democratic space offered by the Swiss model is a clear indication that a participatory system gives the best form of grassroots planning and implementation; a bottom-up approach that makes everyone a stakeholder in development.

Of course, our Constitution is still young and we are still grappling with basic issues like how to build a cohesive society. The bottom line is that for devolution to really succeed, counties must aggressively depend on own revenue and maintain strict levels of fiscal discipline and root out corruption.

As long as the devolved units continue depending on the national government for its revenue, the feeling of suspicion between the national government and the county governments will continue.

The lack of ownership of initiatives to make life better will hold back the dream of many citizens. As seen from the examples from Nakuru and even Nairobi for that matter, counties can in the long run find sustainable ways of being fiscally self-sufficient.

Like Switzerland again, Kenyans must learn to genuinely share power.