Kenya: Council of Governors’ Chairman Isaac Ruto has said the Jubilee administration has failed to fully embrace devolution, contrary to the expectation of many Kenyans.
Speaking at a prize-giving ceremony in Tenwek High School, Ruto said the President Uhuru Kenyatta-led administration is not following the script it had made as its manifesto.
“The promise on laptops for primary school children seems to have fizzled out, no one is talking about it anymore. Tarmacking of roads has stalled and from the current budget, not much has been allocated for the completion of these roads,” said Ruto.
He said the Government had shown little commitment towards the success of devolution and accused Jubilee of lying to Kenyans that it had increased the allocation to counties yet they had used the audited accounts of 2011.
“There has been too much talk but the implementation part is the problem. A few Cabinet secretaries are committed in pushing the agenda in their ministries but a majority of them need to pull up their socks,” he said.
The Bomet County boss said the President has not been very accessible to the governors and challenged him to create more time for them so that more progress is realised.
“Kenyans have bestowed their hopes on the President and the governors to implement the Constitution so as to ensure devolution works. Kenyans do not expect us (leaders) to take them back to 1963 when devolution was nipped in the bud,” he said.
Guaranteed movement
On security, Ruto said there was need for national and county governments, Kenyans of goodwill and all stakeholders to support Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, Interior CS Joseph ole Lenku and PS Mutea Iringo in ensuring that the country is safe and guaranteed movement of locals and foreigners.
He said it was sad to note that the current slump in tourism was as a result of terrorism activities in the country with a few countries having issued travel advisories to their citizens.
“We need to give more attention to security issues in the country. The council of governors is ready and willing to address the issue jointly with the national government because the country is losing a lot in foreign exchange,” said Ruto.
He said as counties await the court’s verdict on the employment of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, those who had been employed would continue working.
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