5th Devolution Conference: Commitment to Change Our Story is Now!

5th Devolution Conference: Commitment to Change Our Story is Now!

In a couple of weeks, the 5th devolution Conference will be going down in Kakamega. Naturally we would be expecting the County Chiefs to put their heads and focus together in an earnest push to protect Devolution and see it work. The teething problems of the new dispensation should be ideally behind them. A number of these County executives are on their 6th year, hopefully enough time to get around to understanding and appreciating the devolution with its attendant intrigues and politics.

Yet, from my corner, I wouldn’t be surprised if this particular meet is characterized by the usual pomp and superficial flowery declarations with no commensurate effort at implementations. That would be unfortunate indeed. Devolution, for me, should rank up there in our hierarchy of priority as a country. We have seen few Governors standing up and putting their people’s aspirations at the center of their programs. H.E Governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana comes to mind. This County Chief is simply waving it in our faces that it was wrong to suppose that some regions can’t. And that development and investments is only feasible in some ‘potential’ regions. For that’s the lie that is the Sessional Paper number 10 of 1965. A development policy fashioned around isolationism, selfishness, lies and ethnic stereotyping. And for the past half century we have had a Country where inequality has been entrenched as normal and perpetuated at the highest policy level.

And so taking cue from Governor Kibwana, and few others pulling their fair share of the weight, its my sincere hope that they will send an equivocal declaration that devolution be given enough leg room, backed by policy and resources, to deliver. Forget about the often bandied excuse about corruption. Corruption permeates every fiber of this society. Kenyans am sorry to say, are attracted to sleaze like marabou to filth. Whatever they do, the most rational marabou stork will find its way to a dumpsite. That’s their nature as it is with an average Kenyan. That’s why we find sleaze in the most unlikely places; in pulpits as it is in the corridors of Justice itself. And oh yes, we resigned to the fate, and the law enforcers tops this chart spectacularly. We picked Retired Arch Bishop as head of Anti Corruption agency. And the results couldn’t have been a more spectacular failure! And so until we make up our mind as a people and get tired with corruption, using it as an excuse to deny Counties funds is a charade that can’t fly in the face of it. Corruption doesn’t just become expensive when it is at County level yet so commonplace and okay when it’s going on in Harambee Avenue. As I pen this, our own Treasury Chief Henry Rotich is admitting deficient coffers, and conveniently it, appears the Counties are the first ones being persuaded to laugh at the very comical joke. What a slap on our face.

In all intent and purposes, the design that we have had over the last half century must never be allowed to continue. Come to think of it, a Centralized system was such that Nairobi has benefited unfairly from the sweat and brawn of other counties. A village in Kilifi for example uses their meager resources to bring up and educate their son or daughter. Once so equipped and endowed, the young ambitious and capable fellow heads to Nairobi where he/she sweats and toils to create wealth for the employer in Nairobi. Once paid, proceeds to enrich the Nairobi landlord, Nairobi vegetable farmer, Nairobi matatu operators …the list is endless. The parents and by extension this typical Kenyan village would be so lucky to receive even 5% of their youngsters monthly sweat. And you can be sure that like rest from all corners of this country, will head back to Rabai at the end of his/her vocation, empty handed and broke, tired and used, having served with honor and diligence, his/her skills and vitality duly milked centrally just like the system was designed to. Tragedy is that these fellas who have put in their all couple of hundreds of kilometers from their homes have been conveniently, with tinge of disdain, labeled lazy and uncreative.

And so as the County Chiefs head to Kakamega, they must never loose sight of the big agenda …commitment to change a 50 year old sorry story. For sure we have had a not so rosy ride with devolved system. Five years characterized by looting, corruption and general ineptness. As expected many got into this office not having figured out how to balance big status and the demand of service placed on that office. Moving Unity in Diversity in confronting the challenges, myriad challenges we have had in our Counties and country. The challenges of unemployment and poverty, of broken down infrastructure and inadequate health facilities, the challenges of droughts and attendant malaise, the myriad challenges that cuts across all regions of this great Nation. That should be enough motivation to rally all of them to demand that this conference be a platform for sincere reflection and well reasoned discourse on how to move forward. Enough motivation to put aside selfish appetite to amass personal wealth at expense of peoples’ welfare. So that the big speakers lined, most of who are the custodians of the policy instruments, should be put on notice that it won’t be just speech and politics, but a genuine pronouncements of commitment to take a path that will change the 50 year old sorry story. Remember at the end of it all, History will record the intrigues and politics, but will be kind enough to honor those whom shall have placed honor and dignity on the people who placed their trust in their hands!

Benard Were

Galamore Africa Consulting