Regional governments a ploy to hand power to individuals

Away from scandalous jokes, the message from the governors’ jamboree in Kakamega is that plans are afoot to dilute devolution and bloat the Executive. It does not end there. The plans seek to restore the old constitutional order, as far as possible.

The essence of this message was often drowned in spicy bedroom jokes and sundry anecdotes calculated to be diversionary.

Where the message was not deliberately diverted by prurient bedroom affairs, it was safely tucked away behind digs at Ford Kenya Deputy Party Leader Boniface Khalwale.

Despite knowing well that the butt of their unhealthy jokes was not present to turn around their presumed witticisms, they still went for him, one after the other. Host governor, Wycliffe Oparanya kick started it all with a mischievous oral cavity chocking on mirth.

He would soon appoint Dr Khalwale, a University of Nairobi trained medic, the head of bullfighting in the county. Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa laughed at “a bullfighter who became a senator and a senator who later on became a bullfighter.”

DP William Ruto pledged to come back to watch bullfighting. NASA leader Raila Odinga, who never has a kind word for the former Kakamega senator, threw in his own brickbats. Even President Uhuru Kenyatta, 360km away, could not help throwing in a word on the bullfighter.

Addressing a separate crowd in Odinga’s presence, an elated political greenhorn from Kakamega publicly promised “to swing from the bullfighter’s genitalia.” We couldn’t sink lower than this. Yet it is a mark of things to come.

The big debate in coming days is going to be about the structure of government. At one level, it will be about weakening devolution by creating 14 regional governments. It will be about clawing away the powers and mandates of county governments as presently constituted and returning them to the centre.

This debate will separate the bullfighters from the boys. At another level, the debate is going to be about restructuring the Executive. Do we want to have an executive Prime Minister?

CEREMONIAL

Informed sources say that while the PM will be the Head of Government, there will also be a President, supposed to be the Head of State. Executive power will, therefore, reside with the PM while the President will be ceremonial.

Informed sources indicate that it is proposed that there will be two Deputy Prime Ministers and two Deputy Presidents. That is to say, there will be First and Second Deputy Prime Ministers and First and Second Deputy Presidents. After this, there will be an expanded Cabinet of about 35.

There will also be Assistant Cabinet Secretaries, possibly up to 70, averaging two per ministry. The architects of these designs will propose to the country that this is the best path to an inclusive Executive. They will say that this is how to end tribalism in the country. But they will go beyond that. They will propose to put together clusters of existing counties and call them regions.

They may be eight or 14 regions. There are short-term and long-term objectives here. The short-term goal is to win the support of second term governors, whose tenure ends in 2022. Creation of regional government will give them the opportunity for a fresh political wave of life.

For the only options, as things stand, are to join a crowded presidential ring, to cast their sights lower, retire from politics, or dream of some presidential appointment. Virtually every self-seeking governor would support the proposed regional government. They will mobilise MCAs to support it ahead of referendum. What could have been a better forum to float this idea, than a devolution conference?

The main objective of introducing regional governments, however, is more sinister. It is about taking government back to 2010, with the only exception that the PM’s office becomes the new centre of power – and even here they want to create a position for someone who is supposed to retire in 2022. They want to simply transfer power from an office that exists today to a new one, complete with the office bearer.

I am digressing, however. I was talking about the proposed regional governments. The objective is to do away with the present constitutional independence of county governments. Raila Odinga’s proposed three-tiers are expected to be hierarchical, with county government being at the bottom of the structure.

Accordingly, the Head of Regional Government will be like the former Provincial Commissioner. Elected or appointed, s/he will be directly answerable to the Prime Minister’s Office. Funds will be disbursed from the Treasury to the regional government, which may then cascade them to the county government. Governors will effectively be reduced to the former level of mayors and MCAs to former councilors. The proposed three levels of government will come with massive costs. Each will be an obese edifice.

The country will soon be called upon to reflect on these proposals and decide on them in a national referendum. President Kenyatta and his nemesis Raila Odinga have found rare unity of purpose on this matter.

They each see something to gain. Odinga believes that he will be President, possibly with someone from Rift Valley and some other one from the Coast deputising him. Kenyatta can be the Prime Minister, with a deputy from Western and another one from Lower Eastern.

They are, accordingly, reading from the same script. In the coming days, they will forcefully whip their MPs and MCAs to rally behind them in what will be disguised as a call to unite the country. Dr Khalwale and like-minded individuals will be on the other side of the debate. Prepare, therefore, for the mother of all political and constitutional bullfights in Kenya. If you have not yet sent for your popcorn, do so now.