Devolution a decade later and how it can work better for you

The advent of the 2010 Constitution gave Kenyans a new ray of hope, especially those from historically marginalised regions. The devolved system of government, introduced in 2013, birthed decentralisation of power and resources. And Kenyans were optimistic to a fault!

Now, I had the privilege to be among the 47 pioneer governors elected in 2013, serving Nairobi County which hosts the capital city. Running for Nairobi's top seat placed me in a new territory of new challenges and opportunities. As pioneer governors, the public expectations of change were at their peak. Nonetheless, we faced budgetary, administrative and political challenges. An honest audit of the performance of devolution a decade later, reveals stark objections and myriad challenges. The devolved units are still faced with enormous hurders in public finance, service management and procurement.

There are still delays in payments as government functions are still manually operationalised. County revenue officers still have to travel to the capital for approval and authorisation of payments. The National Treasury and the county governments should adopt an automated system.

Delays in disbursement of county government funds from the exchequer are still an elephant in the room. It cripples key functions at the county level thus worsening service delivery. This challenge requires political goodwill and concerted efforts to facilitate timely flow of funds. Corruption and opaqueness within the devolved units is another hurdle. County governments should be transparent and accountable to the people and the Auditor General.

Ten years down the line, several county functions are yet to be fully transferred from the central government to the county governments. The Intergovernmental Relations and Technical Committee should expedite the transfer of all functions alongside their corresponding resources.

Public service management is still in disarray a decade later. Inadequate capacity, legislative structures and bureaucratic barriers within the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), county governments and the County Pension Fund scheme have caused delays in payments of pensions, gratuity, salaries and benefits of county government officers. Additionally, the SRC should review job descriptions of county government officers especially the appointees of the governors to promote hiring of competent officers.

County government procurement should be done by proficient officers and in strict adherence to the public procurement law to avert court injunctions. Still, Kenyans must be optimistic as the new government settles down. The hustler government has begun on a high pedestal with policy changes like the elimination of the Devolution Ministry. This means the devolved units will operate autonomously without having to peg their reliance on a national government ministry.

Better yet, I hope the two levels of government will continue to engage development partners like the World Bank through the Kenya Accountable Devolution Programme (KADP) and the Kenya Devolution Support Program (KDSP) to enhance service delivery and strengthen county institutions.

The writer is former Nairobi governor