The third annual Devolution Conference, which will be held this week in Meru County, is a golden opportunity to assess the impact of devolution in Kenya.
This year's theme is premised on the promise of devolution with a focus on consolidating the gains after the transition period (2010-2015).
It is worthwhile to recall that the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, was ratified on August 4, 2010 via referendum after many years of clamour for constitutional change.
The promulgation ushered in a new governance framework in Kenya's social, political and economic spheres. Indeed, one of the major milestones was the adoption of 47 devolved but interdependent (with national government) governments as provided for in Chapter 11 of the Constitution.
Article 174 on the aims of devolution may be summarised into a five-point scorecard: Equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout Kenya, empowering communities to manage their own affairs and further their development, protection of the interests and rights of minorities/marginalised, enhancing participation of the people in the exercise of State powers and in decision-making and facilitating effective service delivery.
READ MORE
Governor Mutuma recounts interaction with slain Meru blogger
Governor M'Ethingia grilled in court over death of blogger 'Sniper'
Agony of family waiting for answers, months after kin's brutal murder
Why Phillips' exit from Kenyan market has sparked court battle
A key component of this strategy is the understanding of development as not only implying economic growth, but also persistent and measurable social improvement of the poor and resource-weak groups in our counties.
Needless to say, devolution has left some lasting impressions on the evolution of Kenya's socio-economic development. We have witnessed some transfer of functions and funds to county governments. The period has also been marked with heightened public participation (including women and youth) in decision-making. Post-devolution Kenya has also been a product of certain community empowerment programmes and geo-economic developments.
However, implementation of devolution is still a work in progress. A lot of hopes and expectations are invested in the current process. For devolution to be effective, our leadership, institutions and people ought to undergo an inclination metamorphosis.
This has to align them towards reliance on hypothesised keys to overcoming endemic manifestations of social and economic underdevelopment. The outcomes must ultimately determine the extent to which devolution can cohabit with development.
The writer is Head of Corporate Communications, Kenya Law Reform Commission
