By Koome Mworia
There is hope for Kenya. We are slow but on the right track. In the pursuit of this Kenyan Vision, tough choices are made. In the interest of the state. At times with a cost. I will quote veteran politician Kiraitu Murungi “It was clear our nation was headed in the wrong direction. We either watched or got involved in politics. And so, we ventured into the mud of politics. In the process most of us became dirty. But that is how you push a nation forward”. Devolution, introduced under the 2010 constitution, is a match.
Service delivery was limited to Kenyan cities and their metropolitan areas. Thanks to devolution, an expectant mother in Turkana gets the natal services she requires. Education has gotten better as the locals are involved through the county governments. Bursaries and scholarships are too available to Kenyans whether in government or not.
In the era before the 2010 constitution, government ministers had only one response to opposition MPs whenever they had a plea as it all was- “Should the resources be available in the future, we will get that done”. With devolution development became a right and not a political kickback. There is local economic growth and job creation across the nation. Infrastructure has improved nationwide. It is after devolution that some regions in the country saw things like tarmac roads.
However, the political elite has created empires out of devolution. This is enabled through mismanagement of public funds and corruption. Billions are lost in counties and there are thousands of ghost workers. This is all meant to sustain the politico`s lifestyles and cushion them during their rainy political days. This has prevented devolution from realizing what could have been possible.
There is inequality among counties. Rich counties with resources are towering over others. With better local economies they can further their interests politically, they are however imposing their will on struggling counties. Additionally, national government interference has resulted in political conflicts and the overdevelopment of certain regions. Devolution was a much-needed candle in the dark tunnel, we will however need to shield it from the winds.
