Delegates find much to laugh about at fifth devolution conference

Opposition leader Raila Odinga received by governors at Kakamega High School during 5th devolution conference on April 25, 2018. [BENJAMIN SAKWA, STANDARD]

There is much going on at the devolution conference in Kakamega. The conference has had its ups and downs. It is also not lacking in dramatic events. But it is the nocturnal activities that have left many delegates talking. 

One such event happened on Tuesday when it became public that a certain county official had taken the spirit of devolution to another level by allowing himself to be accompanied by someone he probably should have avoided.

Instead of sampling what Kakamega had to offer, he came with an import. But it appeared that he had not done his due diligence after things fell apart. 

What was meant to be a little private affair in the spirit of enjoying the 24-hour economy, as declared by the host governor Wycliffe Oparanya, ended up on the podium the following day in the main plenary sessions.

The incident did not just keep tongues wagging but also offered relief to the bored delegates in between sessions. It also gave the key speakers, among them former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, rich fodder to tap into and fire up the crowd whenever they felt like they were losing them.

“I see that some of you appear to be a little bit tired. Is it because Governor Oparanya said that it is a 24-hour economy? The governor told me in private here that although it is a 24-hour economy, some of his guests decided to save his electricity bills by working without lights,” Raila joked to laughter from the delegates.

Serious situation

Other speakers before him had also made fun of the ‘serious situation’. Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa would joke that delegates you want”.

And when he came to the end of his speech, Raila was presented with a gift of an African horn.

Though it was a symbolic horn to show efforts of calling people for consultations, in the spirit of embracing it and going with the flow of the moment, the former PM did not disappoint. He quickly set about blowing it.

After several attempts, the horn appeared not to respond well enough to reward him with the necessary sound befitting his herculean efforts.   

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho also made his appearance yesterday, when he accompanied Raila.

He was seen shaking hands with Devolution Principal Secretary Nelson Marwa, with whom he never saw eye to eye on many issues when the latter was the Coast regional coordinator.

Delegates outside the conference facilities had their own battles. Besides having to wade through mud, some appeared to impatiently wait for freebies to be delivered.

Safaricom, being the key sponsor, had come with umbrellas to give to the delegates. But the distribution did not appear to be happening as quickly as some of the delegates would have wished. And it was not just the youth who were fighting to get their hands on these precious commodities considering the dire weather.

Joined struggle

At one point, security officers and delegates in ties and suits lost their cool and joined in the struggle, some walking away with two umbrellas while others left emptyhanded.

There was a time when one of the vehicles used to distribute the umbrellas was not allowed past a point. Sensing trouble, its driver decided to offload the umbrellas and drive away, leaving the delegates to take matters in their own hands and scramble in the middle of a muddied field.

The youth had their own share of struggles. From distribution of T-shirts to the food area, patience was not easy to come by. Not many loved the idea of having to queue and wait for their turn.

Tuesday had struggles too. It was the first day delegates came to terms with the fact that not all their fuel guzzlers or titles would get them access to the venue without walking for at least 200 meters. Only governors, senators and top government officials were allowed to drive into the venue.

Slippery walk

It was painful to watch police officers block the fuel guzzlers at a distance and see the delegates — some who were in high heels and were not prepared for what awaited them — alight and take the slippery walk to Kakamega High School.

And finally, despite all the effort to keep the roads clear, President Uhuru Kenyatta did not come all.