Council of Governors (CoG) Chair, H.E Anne Waiguru delivered the 10th State of Devolution Address (SODA) on 30th June 2023 at Safari Park hotel, taking stock of the achievements, challenges, and opportunities for devolution in Kenya.
Making her address, the CoG Chair highlighted County Governments’ achievements across various devolved sectors including finance, health, education, urban governance, roads and energy, agriculture, blue economy, natural resource management, trade and investment, tourism and wildlife.
“In a bid to boost access to health services at the lowest level, County Governments have recruited approximately 107,839 Community Health promoters (CHPs), whose contributions have significantly increased levels of immunizations amongst children in communities,” noted the Chair adding that the results of healthcare investments in the Counties were evident as indicated by the statistics.
The 2023 Economic survey report affirms that County Governments’ interventions in agriculture have been invaluable. This includes mechanization, increased inputs access for farmers, distribution of irrigation kits, seeds and seedling distribution and extension services. “In the 2022 school year, there has been notable growth in enrolment in pre-primary education, vocational education and training programmes due to increased incentives and investments by County Governments,” reads the SODA report.
Additionally, notable gains have been accomplished thus far including: enactment of a Disaster Risk Management Act in 26 Counties; enactment of the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) Act in 27 Counties; 15 Counties have approved their County Spatial Plans and; 26 Counties have automated business registration services and licensing processes making it easier for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to formalize their operations.
Giving her remarks, State Department of Devolution Principal Secretary Teresia Mbaika, reiterated the commitment of the National Government in ensuring that devolution thrives and is entrenched in the very heart of governance system.
‘‘County Governments have provided communities with opportunities to participate in local governance and development process through public participation,’’ she said acknowledging the role of devolved units in assisting National Government to deliver vital services such as healthcare, early childhood education and agricultural extension services.
Ambassador of European Union to Kenya Ms. Henriette Geiger, who also represented the Devolution Donor Working Group, on her part noted that County Governments had now come of age.
“There is need for deliberate action by all stakeholders to ensure that the promise of devolution is realized for all Kenyans,” she said.
10 years into the implementation of devolution in Kenya and 60 years since the country gained independence, County Governments have made significant strides in enhancing service delivery to local communities.
As we forge into the next decade of devolution, let us celebrate the milestones, build on the lessons learnt and leverage on our collaborative efforts to steer the devolution agenda in Kenya to greater heights.