State frustrating devolution, says Raila

Cord leader Raila Odinga (centre), Vihiga governor Moses Akaranga(second right) and other leaders at Vihiga stand during the 2nd Lake Region Agribusiness Investment Conference and Exhibition at Vihiga Friends High School yesterday. PHOTO: [BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has accused the national government of frustrating efforts by county administrations to make sure devolution was being felt on the ground by denying them adequate cash to run devolved functions.

Just a day after he led Opposition leaders at Uhuru Park in support of the teachers' strike, Raila said devolution had contributed immensely to the development of counties in the last two years.

"After only two years of existence, counties have become more talked about than the national government. A shift is certainly taking place in the landscape. This gathering here is one such product of hard work," he said.

Raila was speaking at Vihiga High School when he gave a key note speech at the ongoing second edition of Annual Lake Region Agribusiness Investment Conference and Exhibition.

He noted counties across the nation were plagued by graft and questions of prioritisation, with some county governments being too tiny to benefit from economies of scale.

"Nearly all county governments are sagging under the weight of expectations.

"Voters expected that services that had stalled for 50 years in infrastructure, healthcare, tourism, agriculture and employment would take off immediately under county governments. And county governments are dealing with powerful enemies sitting in the national government in Nairobi," he said.

KILLING DEVOLUTION

He took issue with e-procurement, and frequent holding of county revenue by the national government after the end of financial years, noting it was a carefully orchestrated way to kill devolution.

"With responsibilities already devolved to counties, more resources need to trickle down. But the inverse is being done deliberately to frustrate devolution to justify its being a failure," said Raila who was taken around the exhibition stalls by his host Governor Moses Akaranga.

Western Agribusiness Investment Platform Director Peter Kegode noted agribusiness was the engine to drive the economy.

"For a long time, the region has been regarded as poverty-stricken, but that is in the past now," he said.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry County Liaison Manager Patrick Nyangweso observed that the event could not have come in a better way since it focused on the region.

 

The conference has also been sponsored by The Standard Group, which through its Corporate Affairs Director Charles Kimathi, who represented the company's Chief Executive Officer Sam Shollei, pledged to support agribusiness.

"We have seen presentations like those of how bamboo farming can be commercialised and we are impressed. We want to set up a campaign to see to it that there is more awareness about the plant," said Mr Kimathi.

The event comes to a close today, with presentations on various value-added agricultural produce expected to be made.

Busia County has pledged to hold next year's conference.