In spite of drawbacks, devolution has changed many lives

Governors converge in Kakamega County this morning to take stock of devolution, five years after the system was introduced in the country.

The five years have been a story of hope and successes but also punctuated by daunting challenges.

Each of the 47 counties have a story to tell - from the capital city Nairobi to the far-flung and remote county of Marsabit; from Migori in the south to Mandera in the north.

Kenyans generally appreciate that the billions of shillings disbursed to the regions have brought about immense development.

Agriculture, education, roads and health services are among the various areas that have witnessed major improvements. Some residents in counties such as Samburu, Turkana, Wajir and Mandera have seen tarmacked roads for the first time in their lives under the devolved system of government.

In Mandera, doctors conducted the first Caesarian section delivery with the advent of devolution, which led to improved health services and better health equipment.

But in spite of the uplifting stories, devolution has not been without challenges. Indeed, it has been blemished by cases of corruption, theft and misuse of public resources.

Impeachment motions

Currently, several governors and other county officials are either under investigation for corruption or have been charged in court.

Squabbles between governors and Members of the County Assembly also slowed down devolution during its first term, with some governors either being impeached or the ward representatives lodging impeachment motions against them.

There have been other setbacks. The Council of Governors (CoG), which brings together all the counties, has in the past complained that funds transferred to the devolved units are not based on previous years’ total collected revenues in accordance with the law.

County chiefs have also often complained that delayed disbursements by the National Treasury have posed serious challenges to the implementation of development projects.

“The continued delay and breach of the law has led to untold sufferings for citizens and led to interrupted delivery of services and stalling of development projects. Counties continue to incur costs when they borrow from the commercial banks to pay salaries,” CoG chairman Josphat Nanok said in a letter dated October 10, 2017 to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.

“The purpose of this letter is therefore to inform you that legally the National Treasury is under obligation to release all the monies accrued for the past four months to the county governments. Further, all other disbursements respect the provisions of the PFM (Public Finance Management) Act.”

The council has also complained that development and maintenance of county roads is still affected by the challenges posed by national government agencies - Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya Rural Roads Authority - which continue to discharge devolved county functions, causing conflict.

County functions

State corporations and regional development authorities such as Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority, Kerio Valley Development Authority, Lake Basin Development Authority and others continue to perform county government functions.

Governors have also noted that the Inter-governmental Relations Technical Committee that was mandated to finalise residual functions of the defunct Transition Authority does not have a functional secretariat yet.

But despite the hiccups, there is no turning back. In the 2017-2018 financial year, the 47 counties will share a total allocation of Sh341 billion.

This consists of Sh302 billion of equitable share of national government revenue, Sh23 billion in conditional grants from the national government and a further Sh16.4 billion in conditional allocations from loans and grants from development partners.

The Sh302 billion is pegged on population at 45 per cent, basic equal share at 26 per cent, poverty levels at 18 per cent, land area at eight per cent, fiscal responsibility at two per cent and development at one per cent.

The Commission on Revenue Allocation recommends that for the 2018-2019 financial year, Sh337.2 billion should be allocated to county governments as equitable shares.

The commission further recommends that Sh30.5 billion be allocated from the national government equitable share to counties as conditional grants.