Devolution dilemma as confusion reigns over public service delivery

Chairman of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya Benson Okundi (left) and Government Accountant General Benard Ndung'u adresses the Media at the Sarova whitesands beach in Mombasa last month. [PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD]

Nairobi; Kenya:  All senior civil servants attached to the former ministries of Co-operatives, Health, Trade or the Livestock and Fisheries dockets are still retained by the national government. This is despite the fact that functions of these ministries have been devolved to the counties.

While Schedule 4 of the new Constitution took certain functions to the devolved units, all senior staff who were in former ministries have not followed these functions and are instead hiding under the collapsed ministries. This according to the Executive Director of International Centre for Policy and Conflict Ndung’u Wainana, has resulted in a crisis in service delivery as civil servants in the national government are still operating in the centralised policy system.