By Salwa mahmoud.
Democracy and devolution promised hope. They were meant to bring services closer, give people a voice and hold leaders accountable. But in Lamu the promise has often turned into betrayal. Leaders win power then turn their backs on the people. They enjoy office, they enjoy privilege, but they abandon their duty. Health facilities have crumbled, families have suffered, and communities have been left alone in their pain. Devolution was supposed to heal. Instead it has too often broken trust.
Then came a different story. Less than a year ago, after the death of his predecessor, a new Deputy Governor stepped in. Many thought he would take time to adjust. Instead he hit the ground running. He moved fast, he acted boldly, and he reminded people that leadership is not about empty talk. It is about decisions that touch lives. In less than a year he has shifted the tone of governance in Lamu.
Carrying the double role of Deputy Governor and executive in charge of health, he faced one of the toughest dockets. Health is where leaders are truly tested. It is where failures cannot be hidden because sickness and suffering cannot wait. Past leaders dodged the hard choices. He chose to confront them head on. His most striking reform has been in the way dispensary money is handled.
For years the little revenue collected in dispensaries disappeared into county offices. Health centres were starved, staff had nothing to work with, and patients were left stranded. People paid but never saw the benefit. This was theft in another name, and it captured the rot in Lamu leadership.
In just a few months he changed the law. Today, every coin collected in a dispensary stays there. It cannot be swallowed by other projects. It can only be used to improve services and buy equipment. The results are visible. Dispensaries are beginning to breathe again. Drugs are available. Equipment is arriving. Staff have support to serve patients. Communities can now see where their money goes.
This is the kind of leadership Lamu has been crying for. Simple, clear, and effective. Leadership that restores trust. Leadership that respects the people.
The Deputy Governor has not stopped there. He has called on residents to register with the Social Health Authority. He has reminded them that SHA is not just about insurance. It is about strengthening local health facilities. When more people register, more revenue flows into the system. That money stays in Lamu, building capacity and reducing suffering. His appeal is practical and visionary at the same time.
What also makes him stand out is the way he listens. He considers the views of the community. He does not dismiss complaints from his office. Instead he pays attention and acts. This is not common in Lamu politics, where leaders are known to ignore the cries of the people. His openness has already repaired broken trust between government and community.
His energy in health has also revealed something deeper. It has exposed the incompetence of other departments. Many offices that should be the backbone of the county have been silent and invisible. Their existence has hardly been felt by the people. Roads, water, education, agriculture, all these are core pillars of county government, yet their impact has been faint or nonexistent. Through the example of the Deputy Governor it has become easier to see who is working and who is simply enjoying power without responsibility. His record has shamed the relaxed leaders who have been sleeping in their offices while the people suffer.
Alongside these reforms he has also expanded services. The eye clinic at Mokowe is one shining example. For years patients with eye problems had to leave the county. Families spent money they did not have just to access treatment. Today, for the first time, eye care and even surgery can be accessed at home. He has also pushed for improvements at King Fahd Hospital and other facilities. These steps show vision beyond survival. They show a leader planning for a healthier future.
What is remarkable is the speed and sincerity with which he has acted. In less than a year he has taken on problems others avoided for decades. He has shown that leadership is about courage, not excuses. He has shown that service is about people, not power.
And yet, his boldness has not come without a cost. By exposing incompetence and unfolding the truth about failed leadership, he has stepped on powerful toes. Some leaders, threatened by his record, have turned against him. They spread bad energy, create obstacles, and work tirelessly to discredit him. Worse still, aspirants eyeing 2027 see him as a direct threat. They know the community has now seen a true picture of what real leadership looks like. Out of fear of losing to him, they are determined to bring him down.
But the people can see through the lies. They can see the difference between talk and action, between betrayal and service. In less than a year his record is written in action. He has brought reforms. He has strengthened health. He has placed the people at the heart of leadership. For this he deserves recognition not only as the Deputy Governor of Lamu but as the servant leader this county has been waiting for.
