On August 27 2010, at
a packed Uhuru Park, Nairobi, former President Kibaki led the nation in
ushering in the new constitution. A cool breeze of optimism and renewal blew
across Kenya, as we al celebrated a milestone. But perhaps the greatest gift
that the new constitutional order presented to the country was devolution.
With the
decentralization of power from Nairobi to all the newly formed 47 Counties, all
Kenyans, especially in the marginalized areas had a reason to smile. At last,
financial power had been brought home and they could charter their good cause
forward. They could no longer bemoan the ineptitude of disregard that the
central government had pushed them into, in the division of the national cake.
With duly elected governors sitting pretty in office, Kenya has a chance to
develop herself, nip marginalization and make sure that Vision 2030 comes
closer to fruition! We all have a chance to build roads, improve health sector,
enhance the provision and quality of education and make sure that all Kenyans
live a better life.
The governor, his
cabinet and the Members of the county assembly are the drivers of the
development agenda in our counties. Proper legislation and formulation of policies,
coupled with the conducive political environment are what all counties need to
better the lives of her people. Dr Alfred Mutua, the Machakos County Governor
has set the bar for the other 46 to follow. Roads have been built, health
sector bolstered by the provision of ambulances in all wards, security has been
taken a notch higher by the police cars that have been bought, and as one
travels along the Makutano Junction-Machakos Town road, off the Nairobi-Mombasa
Highway, the tarmac is well lit and police cars and ambulances are a scene all
too common. Now this is development and Kenyans down in the County of Machakos
can attest to this, as they bask under the sun of the People’s Park! Only if
the other counties can emulate the pioneer county; Machakos County!
Sadly, devolution has
faced threats from the very people entrusted to steer it ahead. Members of
County assemblies have splashed public money in overseas trip, done under the
pretext of going to learn more on development. Yet wit Internet, the world has
become a global village, we can all learn from there! Must our MCAs go abroad
and experience the taste of quality life so as to come and develop our
counties? Is that the only way to develop? No, it is not. My crystal ball tells
me that it is just the poor mind that as African, once in power, we must grow
our stomachs and plunder the public coffers at all costs! A lot of money has
been lost in these learning trips abroad, yet our roads are filled with
pot-holes, hospitals are run down and lack enough personnel and drug supplies,
our schools are fast growing old and problems afflict us day in day out! Is it
not the height of stupidity that our MCA’s pretend not to know the solutions to
these?
As MCA’s plunder and
waste public money in these trips, misappropriation of funds meant for
development, corruption, nepotism and the big man syndrome are some of the ills
that have been devolved from the central government to the county governments.
Our governors have mooted the idea of a referendum to increase funds to their
governments, yet issues of misappropriation and misuse of already allocated
funds have blatantly been ignored. It is ridiculous to agitate for more funds
yet most of these counties have not once, but severally returned money to the
exchequer after failing to put it all into development. Talk of chewing more
than you can chew!
Devolution can work.
It is the answer to developing Kenya and improving the lives of all Kenyans. It
is the cure to the marginalization that the people of Northern Kenya faced
since 1963! A governor from the region was recently quoted by the media saying
that the budgetary allocation that his county had received in a single
financial year is more that the total that the region had received since
independence! However, there are issues that must be addressed and urgently so.
Governor Mutua has
already shown that with clear objectives, and a supportive county assembly and
government, that devolution is the answer to developing Kenya. Machakos is the
county of destination, as other counties fight a myriad of homegrown troubles
that threaten development at their backyards!
Otherwise, as
Machakos County overcomes the challenges to surge ahead and improve the lives
of her people, other counties might be impoverishing the lives of their people!
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