Devolution: Kenya's pathway to Inclusiveness and Social Justice

Council of Governors CEO Mary Mwiti at the Devolution Conference Steering Committee civil society organisations and private sector stakeholders official unveiling of the Devolution Conference 2025 registration website at Movenpick Hotel, Nairobi on 3rd April 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The 2025 Devolution Conference, themed; ‘For the people; for prosperity: Devolution as a catalyst for equity, inclusion and social justice’, is timely and compelling as it enables the citizens and policymakers to engage in the discourse on how county governments underpinned by good governance fulfill the Constitution’s ambition of an equitable society where all citizens, regardless of their background, have equal opportunities and access to resources and rights.

Devolution is one of the most transformative changes in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. According to Article 174 of the Constitution the key objectives of devolution include, among others, to promote social and economic development and to provide proximate, easily accessible services throughout Kenya. Indeed, the expectation is that devolution would not only increase the accountability of the 47 county governments to citizens but also mainstream social justice.