Time is ripe for counties to develop new growth strategies

Kenya is currently grappling with a problem so significant it should be declared a national disaster - our 47 counties are underperforming.

The 2023 Gross County Product Report has exposed two major challenges facing our counties, which we can transform into unmatched opportunities.

The first challenge resides in county productivity. Our national cake is half-baked, producing far below our capabilities. Nairobi’s contribution of 27.5 per cent to the economy is the only one in double digits, followed by Kiambu’s 5.9 per cent. Shockingly, the ten counties contributing the least to the economy have collectively added only 4.6 per cent, even less than Nakuru’s 4.9 per cent.

The economic productivity of these bottom ten counties is undoubtedly below par, yet they are brimming with economic opportunities. Among them are Lamu, Tana River and Taita Taveta, three coastal counties abundant with blue economy opportunities and surrounded by a national game park. According to a study by the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the blue economy could contribute USD4.8 billion to the Kenyan economy from 2020-2030.

Thus, these counties must expedite the implementation of existing blue economy strategies. I propose that the governors of these counties annually report progress in harnessing the blue economy to their residents.

This approach should be universally adopted. Every county has a development strategy, but the obstacle lies in implementation. While millions have been spent on planning and benchmarking, billions should now be garnered through execution.

For enhanced efficiency, focus and accountability, I humbly suggest that each county specialises in a flagship product and service. This successful approach, initiated by Governor Hiramatsu in Oita Prefecture (County), Japan, in the 1970s, has also tangibly benefited Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia by promoting regional development. Why not Kenya?

The second challenge that can be converted into opportunity is chronic development deficiencies in 40 counties, as unveiled by the 2023 Gross County Product Report. The Public Finance Management Act mandates that a minimum 30 per cent of county funds be allocated to development. Regrettably, only seven counties have complied. 40 counties are blatantly contravening this law. Take Nairobi, which expended merely 15 per cent on development, and Kiambu, which spent only 10.2 per cent. On average, the 47 counties allocated only 22.8 per cent to development, while doubling that on salaries. Isn’t this equation critically flawed?

Governors can only be partly blamed as there appear to be inherent structural and systemic issues in the way counties operate. I suggest that President William Ruto passionately initiates a well-coordinated candid intercounty conversation to spearhead resolutions on this extremely urgent matter.

The basic essence of devolution was to ensure a cascade, not merely a trickle, of national and county resources reaching Kenyans at the grassroots level.

To effectively transform these challenges into opportunities, counties must rejuvenate and maximise the utility of regional economic blocs.

The Bomas draft constitution had proposed 14 counties to eradicate the colonial ethnic demarcation of districts. While that proposal is in the past, we cannot seem to allow counties to function as ethnic blocs, which has evidently compromised their productivity. They must, therefore, deliberately unite through regional economic blocs in a complementary fashion.

Consider these statistics – 40 counties are contributing an average of below 2.1 per cent to the national economy; 30 counties contribute an average of below 1 per cent to manufacturing. To change this narrative, we must act decisively through one more statistic – 75 per cent of Kenya’s population is under 30 years of age.

Our youth are our greatest asset, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of the era. Consequently, they must be entrenched at the very heart of both County and National Development.

Indeed, I suggest that we boldly embark on a comprehensive audit of youth responsiveness to our county development plans and the staggering results, once actualised, will indelibly transform our nation.

Just like a tree steadfastly grows, life demands our daily steps toward the right direction; we must stop being crybabies since future generations look up to us as their beacon of hope. Think green, act green!

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