Council of Governors Liaison and Resource Management Committee which brings together all Committee Chairs and is led by CoG Vice Chair H.E Ahmed Abdullahi held its inaugural meeting with the Secretariat Technical leads on Tuesday, 27th September 2022.

The purpose of the meeting was to appraise Excellency Governors on the status of sectoral matters as well priority areas that require their immediate intervention.

While delivering her opening remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Mary Mwiti noted, “The Council of Governors executes its agenda through technical committees. This is the first meeting of this nature where all Committee Chairs and technical staff have met to discuss sectoral issues as well as share the expectations of each Committee.” She noted adding that the devolution agenda can only be propelled by commitment and dedication from Committee Chairs.

On his part, the Vice Chairman reiterated the commitment of the Executive to ensuring a more vibrant Council of Governors and implementation of recommendations. “The executive is keen to ensure that all committees remain active. As the Chair in charge of this committee, it will be my agenda to ensure we escalate critical issues brought to the attention of this committee to fora such as IBEC and the Summit. Further, our impetus as the executive is to ensure that we have improved intergovernmental relations with Parliament and the National Government Executive as well as other devolution stakeholders.”

To showcase what has been done thus far and the gaps in the devolved sectors, the CoG Director Committees, Mr. Kizito Wangalwa, shared a detailed presentation on the key committee issues including: review of policies, laws, regulations and institutions to align with the assignment of functions in the Constitution; financing the County functions; and service delivery in the Counties.

“Some of the key issues in the committees include the completion of the unbundling, delineation, costing, and transfer of functions; completion of the valuation and transfer of assets relating to devolved functions; and anchoring the CoG Secretariat in law,” said Director Kizito.

Following this meeting resolutions were made as follows:

1. There is a need to improve the intergovernmental relations between Parliament and CoG as well as Constitutional Commissions and independent offices;

2. There is a need for a discussion with IGRTC to understand the level of collaboration, especially with the Presidency and the CoG in terms of the Summit;

3. The 3rd generation of County Governments to focus on the unbundling and complete transfer of all County functions;

4. The CoG should review the County Boundaries Bill to address intergovernmental disputes and a formula for addressing the boundaries issue should be developed;

5. The Liaison committee will follow up with Parliament to ensure that the County Additional Allocation Bill is published and read in the 1st seating as a way of fast-tracking the Bill;

6. Constitute a round table meeting with development partners, map out what each development partner does and what projects are being undertaken in the Counties; and

7. Have a robust conversation with the National Treasury on Public Private Partnership as a mode of financing for County projects.

The Council of Governors on Monday, 26th September 2022 convened a meet-and-greet breakfast meeting with development partners and the 7 newly elected women Governors. The breakfast meeting provided a platform for the women Governors and development partners to interact and explore possible areas of partnership and collaboration.
Kenya, has for the first time in history, attained the highest number of women Governors since the inception of devolved governance in 2013. This is a significant improvement compared to the 2017 General Elections when 3 women were elected as Governors. The seven newly elected female Governors are: H.E. Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga County); H.E. Susan Kihika (Nakuru County); H.E. Gladys Wanga (Homabay County); H.E. Cecily Mbarire (Embu County); H.E. Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos County); H.E. Fatuma Achani (Kwale County); and H.E. Kawira Mwangaza (Meru County). While the two–thirds gender principle remains elusive, the increase in the number of women in gubernatorial positions is definitely a step in the right direction and a testament of the confidence that the Kenyan electorate have in women’s ability to lead.
CoG Chair H. E. Anne Waiguru highlighted that the meeting came at an opportune time when the women Governors were beginning their five-year tenure and would be instrumental in enabling them to learn, network, and share experiences for better execution of their mandates.
“We appreciate the continued support from all the development partners present here today and look forward to enhanced collaboration and cooperation as we seek to actualize the visions that we hold for our Counties and Nation,” added H.E. Anne Waiguru.
Council of Governors CEO Ms. Mary Mwiti further noted the need for intentional, strategic and systematic approaches in supporting excellence in governance and service delivery at the County level.
“We hope that these interactions will forge strategic partnerships that will guarantee equitable and sustainable development and empowerment of all women and girls, men and boys,” she said.
The 7 female Governors highlighted key priority areas that required urgent support in order to spur growth and socio-economic development in their Counties. These include women and youth empowerment, agriculture, water and sanitation, Universal Health Care (UHC), child protection and development, food and security, climate change and blue economy among others.
While commending the 7 women Governors for their win in the 9th August 2022 polls, the EU Ambassador to Kenya Ms. Henriette Geiger noted that women leaders are held to higher standards in comparison to their male counterparts and are generally viewed with a more critical eye.
“We commit to support all the women Governors in effectively delivering their mandates. Together, we will overcome the challenges hampering the successful implementation of devolution and strive to improve the lives of the Kenyan people,” she added.
US Ambassador to Kenya Ms. Meg Whitman expressed the great interest of her government in supporting Counties’ development through different projects. She highlighted the cordial relations, longstanding mutual interest, cooperation, and enduring partnership between Kenya and the US.
The meeting resolved that both development partners and women Governors would work hand in hand to deliver on the promise of devolution.

In fulfillment of Sections 19(2) and (3) of the Intergovernmental Relations Act 2012, the CoG convened a full Council Meeting in which elections were held for the Executive and the Council Committee Chairs. Through consensus, they unanimously agreed on the leadership that will steer the Council for the next one year.
Kirinyaga Governor, H.E. Anne Waiguru was on Saturday, 17th September 2022 elected as the 6th Chairperson of the Council of Governors. She becomes the first woman to rise to the helm of the Council Leadership and will be deputized by Wajir Governor H.E. Ahmed Abdullahi. Nandi Governor H.E. Stephen Sang was elected as Chief Whip.
Governor Waiguru succeeds H.E. Martin Wambora, former Governor of Embu County, having served 2 terms as Governor and 2 terms of one year each as the Chair of the Council of County Governors. The previous CoG chairpersons were Bomet’s H.E. Isaac Ruto (2013-2015), Meru’s H.E. Peter Munya (2015-2017), Turkana’s H.E. Josphat Nanok (2017-2019), and Kakamega’s H.E. Wycliffe Oparanya (2019-2021).
The elections were undertaken after successfully concluding a three-day induction workshop for Governors and Deputy Governors whose core objective was to build the capacity of the newly elected County Leadership and provide a reference point for the required systems, processes, and structures for optimal functioning of the County Governments.
The Deputy Governors Forum elected H.E. Martin Moshisho of Kajiado County as their Chair, H.E. Lucy Mulili of Makueni County as the Vice Chair and H.E. Reuben Ngatia of Laikipia County was elected the whip. The County Deputy chiefs further elected H.E. Ahmed Abdi of Wajir County and H.E. Josephat Kombo of Kwale County as the Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the new CoG Chair, H.E. Anne Waiguru expressed her enthusiasm toward further strengthening devolution and ensuring that all Kenyans access services as and when they need them.
“As we take up the mantle, we must strive to build on the successes and achievements made so that we can deliver on the devolution dream where every citizen regardless of status has equal access to services.” She noted.
The new Council of Governors executive leadership comes in with a full in-tray of pending issues inherited from the previous leadership. The CoG Chairman Emeritus during his handover speech reiterated that the task ahead is daunting but expressed his confidence in the new leadership to steer the course of devolution going forward.
“As I officially hand over the baton to the new leadership, I urge them to keep a close eye on the following: Anchoring of CoG Secretariat in Law; Finalization of the Pension for County Governors and their Deputies; Implementation of the progressive 2022- 2027 Strategic Plan; and Intergovernmental contributions for the secretariat activities,” said H.E. Martin Wambora.
“Devolution is truly a gift to the Kenyan people. As champions of devolution, l urge you to ensure that devolution becomes the cornerstone of our socio-economic growth and development as a nation. I commit to ensure that we push for legislation that will advance devolution in Kenya. We will be facilitators and not impediments to devolution,” added National Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Moses Wetangula while delivering remarks on behalf of H.E. the President Hon. Dr. William Samoei Ruto during the official closing of the induction conference.
The new CoG Chair affirmed that the Council would be vibrant, robust, and committed to deepening devolution; supporting the activities of the Council by being present when needed and sharing our views; promoting a positive image of the Council; and, actively participating in the Committees.
Governors also conducted an election of the chairpersons of the 18 technical committees that are in line with the devolved functions alongside other committees that were formed through a Council resolution to ensure the smooth running of the Governors’ Council. The current leadership will serve for a one-year period before elections are held.
In the same breath, the Council launched its Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 in a bid to strengthen devolution in the third generation of County Governments and ensure effective service delivery for all Kenyans. The Strategic Plan is anchored on 3 pillars: Good governance and institutional capacity for sustainable service delivery in the Counties; Intergovernmental relations and devolution; and CoG’s institutional development. The successful implementation of the Strategic Plan will require collaboration, consultation, coordination, information sharing, capacity building, performance management, dispute resolution, and peer learning among all stakeholders.
The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan’s pillars, strategic objectives, and strategies will propel the achievement of CoG’s mission and vision – to have Prosperous Counties that are drivers of socio-economic growth and development and quality service delivery.

The Council of Governors facilitated the induction of the new team of Governors and Deputy Governors which was held between 14th – 18th September 2022. The induction whose theme was, ‘Towards Better Governance and Outcome-Driven Service Delivery in the Counties’ introduced the Governors and Deputy Governors to the following topics: the history of devolution in Kenya; legal and policy framework guiding the Counties; Intergovernmental relations; County planning, budgeting, and financing; County public service management; governance and leadership skills.
The three-day induction held at Pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa County brought together the 47 Governors and their deputies. The induction was also attended by top National Government Officials, development partners, the Commission on Administrative Justice, the Office of the Controller of Budget, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, and the Auditor General among others.
Speaking during the official opening of the induction, Deputy President H.E. Rigathi Gachagua congratulated the newly elected Governors and their deputies for their victory in the 9th August 2022 polls, further reiterating that devolution remains one of the most transformative reforms of the Constitution.
“As the National Government, we will continue to support the County Governments to strengthen systems and processes that will ensure Devolution is deepened and Kenyans access better services at the grassroots level. The new Government is committed to addressing issues that may affect the implementation of devolution in the next five years,” noted the Deputy President. In addition, he emphasized his intention to ensure that the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) meetings are constituted as envisaged in the law and they remain consultative to resolve the contentious issues affecting County Governments, especially on budgets.
While making her opening remarks Council of Governors CEO, Ms. Mary Mwiti, expressed confidence that the new leadership will effectively discharge their mandate, the challenges notwithstanding.
“We make a clarion call to all Excellency Governors and their deputies to stand united to safeguard the principles of devolution and ring-fence the gains made thus far. May you be remembered as having contributed to the strengthening of devolution in Kenya,” she added.
Giving his remarks Mr. Gerald Macharia, Regional Director for Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), commended the 7 newly elected female Governors on their win in the August General Elections while urging all the leaders to remain dedicated to the service of the citizens.
“We need to be alive to the high expectations of the Kenyan people considering the new order of Government. Let us listen to the voices of all citizens, including the entire electorate and the millions of Kenyans across all the 47 Counties who consider this country their home,” he noted.
While appraising members on the history of devolution in Kenya, H.E. Dr. Julius Malombe of Kitui County raised alarm over the inadequate allocation of funds to County Governments despite the assignment of functions as stipulated under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution.
“There is a need to critically analyze all County functions, unbundle them and ensure that resources follow these functions. We, therefore, urge the National Treasury to ensure timely disbursement of funds to County Governments to enable them effectively serve all Kenyans,” he noted.
Similarly, County Governments were advised to maximize their own source revenue potential by reforming existing revenue sources and seeking out new avenues to finance their budgets in addition to the Counties’ equitable share.
Governors flagged a myriad of problems affecting service delivery in devolved units, including irregular employment, bloated workforce, pending bills, and intrusion of the provincial administration, among others.
Chair of the devolution donor working group, H.E Amb. Ole Thonke highlighted key aspects to consider going forward into the third generation of County Governments. These include public participation; financial accountability; and collaboration with the National Government, civil society, and the private sector.
“As the International community, we remain committed to supporting County Governments in the implementation of devolution in Kenya. Additionally, we call upon the Senate and the National assembly to fast-track enactment of the County Government Additional Allocation Bill to allow transfer of funds to Counties,” he said.
The task awaiting the newly elected County leadership requires them to be determined, willful, and committed to delivering on the promise of devolution. Through the concerted efforts of both levels of Government and other devolution stakeholders, we will overcome the challenges that continue to claw back on devolution and steer the devolution agenda in Kenya to greater heights.
Governors have pledged to work with all stakeholders to strengthen devolution for effective service delivery to all Kenyans.

Capacity Building for Governors is at the centre of the CoG’s mandate. The CoG has always put its best foot forward to ensure adequate capacity building for County officials, including Governors and their Deputies, for improved and consistent service delivery at the County Level.
In fulfillment of this mandate, the Council has developed a comprehensive induction programme for Governors and Deputy Governors that will be undertaken in September 2022. This follows the 9th August 2022 General election that saw 28 new Governors elected into office through a constitutional and democratic process. 8 pioneer Governors made a comeback while 11 were re-elected.
The Council of Governors on 18th and 19th August 2022 held sensitization meetings with development partners and Government agencies respectively in a bid to ensure that their views were consolidated and incorporated into the final programme.
“It is my hope that this induction program will propel the implementation of the devolution agenda in Kenya for the benefit of all Kenyans,” noted Devolution Principal Secretary Mr. Julius Korir.
The development of the induction begun in 2021 and has been a widely consultative process aimed at creating a wholesome and all-inclusive programme. Stakeholders have had the chance to provide valuable input in the programme with a view of ensuring that County officials gain from the experience of different stakeholders in the course of implementing devolution.
Addressing development partners and Government agencies during the consultative meeting, the Council of Governors CEO and the Chair of the Induction programme steering committee reiterated the importance of all partners and the role they play to empower devolution in Kenya. She also pointed out that the manual will capture lessons learnt with an aim of using past experience to come up with strategic ways of conquering the future.
“This manual will be experiential with an aim of sharing and ring-fencing the gains made in devolution thus far. This is the first step in ensuring that Devolution will be strengthened and there is efficient and effective service delivery at the County level,” said Ms. Mary Mwiti.
The manual features 8 strategic modules: Historical background of Devolution in Kenya; Policy and Legislative framework of Devolution; Intergovernmental relations; County planning, budgeting and financing; County Procurement; County public service management; Cross cutting issues and Leadership and management skills.
During the induction period, the Governors will hold their first Council meeting where they will elect their new leadership. Thereafter, the Governors are also expected to hold the first summit meeting.

Governors have pledged to improve service delivery, step up the fight against corruption, settle pending bills and transform the country’s devolved sectors including health, agriculture, and water.
This comes as the newly elected County chiefs were sworn into office in colorful ceremonies held simultaneously across different Counties on 25th August 2022. Pursuant to section 12 of the Assumption of Office of Governor Act, 2019, the swearing-in ceremonies were held on the first Thursday after the 10th day following the declaration of the final election results of the County Governor by the electoral commission.
The 45 Governors – who took the oath of office between 10 am and 2 pm – include 26 first term Governors, 11 incumbent, and 8 pioneer governors. Further, the Governors signed the leadership and integrity codes as a sign of their commitment to upholding integrity during their tenure of office.
Speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International stadium during the swearing ceremony, H.E Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o who is serving his second and final term, promised to advance his development agenda for the devolved unit.
“We must build our County of Kisumu and the nation of Kenya not simply for our immediate gratification but as an inheritance for our future generations,” he noted adding that this was the vision that had inspired him during the past five years.
H.E Ann Waiguru of Kirinyaga County made history by becoming the first female Governor to be re-elected in Kenya. She takes office alongside 6 other female Governors who were sworn in, the highest number of women Governors since the onset of devolution.
“I will continue with the transformational journey to ensure the maximum realization of the County’s potential for sustainable socio-economic development and the speedy completion of ongoing projects,” she stated.
“Most people believe a woman especially from a community like mine, cannot lead. But l am a good example and an inspiration to many girls that they can be leaders,” noted H.E Fatuma Achani, who defied the odds by becoming the first female Governor in Kwale County.
While making her remarks during the inauguration ceremony of H.E Ann Waiguru, Council of Governors (CoG) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ms. Mary Mwiti said that the Council has been at the forefront in defending devolution. She further highlighted perennial delays in the disbursement of county funds, incomplete transfer of functions, and interference with county powers as the stumbling blocks in devolution.
“All gains made over the years need to be safeguarded and I call upon all governors to stand firm,” she added while encouraging young girls to rise up to challenges by seeking elective positions available in the country.
Speaking moments after being sworn in as Governor, H.E Sakaja Arthur Johnson promised to transform Nairobi into a city of order, dignity, and opportunities as well as a regional and global giant.
“You have given me the greatest job in my entire life. Let’s make Nairobi work for all of us. A new Nairobi that will be a first-class county without a second-class citizen,” he noted while commending the NMS for effectively performing duties assigned to them.
In recognition of the high unemployment rates among Kenyan Youth, H.E Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir County announced his intentions to introduce youth programmes through job creation and empowerment initiatives.
“We shall endeavor to support youth in private enterprises and invest in social programmes that will improve their livelihoods,” he said.
The Governor also called upon development partners and the National Government to intervene to cushion the millions of families affected by the ravaging drought that has hit Northern Frontier Counties.
The newly elected Governors have a full in-tray awaiting them as they seek to address some of the key issues that Counties are grappling with as well as realize the dreams and aspirations of all Kenyans.
As we usher in a new era in devolution, we implore all stakeholders to work together to ensure that all Kenyans continue to enjoy the fruits of devolution.

As part of CoG’s youth mainstreaming agenda, the Gender, Youth, Culture, Sports, and Social Services Committee held a Youth mainstreaming training on 30th August 2022 at the CoG offices in Delta corner. The training aimed at improving the incorporation of Youth affairs within the Council’s committees.
Making the opening remarks Director, legal services at CoG Ms. Irene Ogamba noted that Youth issues are critical to the growth of every sector of our economy.
“We should all work to ensure the youth are involved in the roll-out of programmes in the counties. Let us also purpose to mainstream the needs, concerns, and requirements of the youth throughout all phases of program development, implementation, and evaluation,” she added.
To add the same, the Senior Programs Officer Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Services Committee, CoG Ms. Jackline Migide indicated that the youth bulge has become a global phenomenon and Kenya is no exception to this trend. The youth are and will remain, a significant share of Kenya's population for the foreseeable future.
“During designing and implementation of activities, we need to see programs that put into consideration matters of the Youth in this country to ensure they are not left behind” noted Ms. Jackline Migide.
Developing and implementing appropriate strategies, policies, and programs to mitigate the risks and challenges youth face must be a priority for the government and all other actors in the youth space. Any failure to provide appropriate opportunities for this large segment of the population could have enormous economic, political, cultural, and social consequences.
“Engaging the young population fully is therefore no longer a choice but critical in the development process. There should be strategies for engaging the youth through empowerment, education, and employment at both National and County level governance,” added Mr. Kelvin Osido, the Executive Director of County Governance Watch.
The attainment of high-quality life for the country’s populace is greatly influenced by the extent to which youth issues are mainstreamed in its planning and budgeting processes. Mrs. Susan Mwongera, the Generation Unlimited Kenya Partnership Programme Coordinator at the Executive Office of the President, Policy and Strategy Unit went on to encourage Programme developers to incorporate youth affairs when outlining budgets and other policies at their respective levels.
“Youth mainstreaming should be viewed as a comprehensive approach for achieving equal opportunities for young men and women. We anticipate that this training will guide us to a youth mainstreaming strategy that leads to actionable steps on programming and budgeting for youth in Kenya,” she said.
Participants reported that the training was significant in enhancing their understanding around youth engagement and cross-sectoral planning.
“All of the important issues were brought into the agenda in the best way possible. The workshop provided an opportunity to dissect them clearly; it set in place the motion towards comprehensive youth mainstreaming", said Mr. Ken Oluoch the Senior Programme officer for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at CoG.
Speaking during the closing of the training programme Ms. Daisy Chebet, Program Officer Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Services Committee added that Youth mainstreaming is a process that needs to be natured for better implementation of youth reforms.

The Kenya School of Government, in partnership with Adaptation Consortium on 4th August 2022, launched the County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) Mechanism Curriculum and Facilitator’s Guide at its Kabete Campus in Nairobi. This comes even as ASAL Counties continue to grapple with prolonged drought and starvation further worsened by the adverse effects of climate change.
The CCCF Curriculum seeks to build the capacity of government officers at the National and County level, Civil Society, and other stakeholders in managing financial resources for climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in the country. It will be instrumental in equipping officers, particularly at the lower levels in the county, with requisite skills and bring into practice four key components of devolved climate finance that County Governments will use to deliver on community-led climate adaptation and mitigation projects. These components are the County Climate Change Fund; County Climate Change Planning Committees; participatory Climate risk vulnerability tools and Climate information services; and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
In his opening remarks, Adaptation Consortium National Coordinator, Mr. Victor Orindi, noted that capacity building was a long-term process that required well-structured and coordinated strategies to ensure the necessary skills and knowledge are transferred to the relevant actors on a sustainable basis.
“CCCF clearly demonstrates that to address climate change and build community resilience and sustainable development, there needs to be an inter-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach. Development partners, non-governmental organizations, research, academia, government institutions, community organizations, and communities all came together to design and test the mechanism in Kenya. The CCCF is currently the most successful model of devolved climate finance globally”, said Orindi.
Speaking on behalf of the Council of Governors, Mr. Brian Muthoka, Program Lead Environment, and Climate Change Committee noted that County Governments have worked towards creating a conducive policy and legal environment for Climate action. He added that the CCCF Mechanism will enable Counties and communities to access, plan for, and effectively deploy financial resources towards activities that address their climate change needs.
“Currently, 42 County Governments have so far enacted requisite legislations and set aside an estimated 1-3% of their development budgets to support climate action. Focus has now shifted to ensuring climate change units are functional through adequate staffing, office space, actual budget allocation, and that the units are fully equipped. The FLLoCA programme is expected to complement ongoing efforts by County Governments through implementing local solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities”, said Mr. Muthoka.
According to FSD Kenya’s Chief Programme Officer, Mr. James Kashangaki, the partnership with Adaptation Consortium is meant to support the implementation of the CCCF Mechanism and create an opportunity for more Counties to build their capacities in devolved climate finance. It targets the following Counties: Vihiga, Kisumu, Kericho, Nandi, Kakamega, Narok, Kwale, Machakos, Taita Taveta, Bomet, Kisii, Nakuru, Laikipia, Trans Nzoia, and Embu.
The CCCF mechanism curriculum was developed in partnership with key government institutions including the Kenya Meteorological Department, Climate Change Directorate, National Treasury, Council of Governors, and National Drought Management Authority; and Civil Society Organizations including Christian Aid Kenya, Anglican Development Services to name but a few.
Thus far, the curriculum has been piloted in five arid and semi-arid counties, namely, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Kitui, and Makueni between 2013 and 2018 and is now being scaled-out to the rest of the counties.

The Council of Governors (CoG) on 22nd July 2022 launched the assessment of the impact of devolution on women and girls report at Movenpick Hotel, Nairobi. The report documents the impact of devolution on women and girls in select sectors 0f: Education, Health, Agriculture, Water and Sanitation, and Urban Planning.

The assessment was conducted in 14 counties namely, Busia, Garissa, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kilifi, Lamu, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot, with the support of UN Women and UNCDF.

Devolution has opened up opportunities for women and other previously marginalized groups to participate in county-level planning and budgeting, ensuring that County Governments integrate gender-responsive mechanisms. 12 years since the promulgation of the Constitution and 8 years since the inception of devolution, the report presents the Women and Girls’ voices on the story of devolution.

The assessment report was commissioned by the CoG with input from a broader multi agency team with representatives drawn from: State Department in charge of Gender, State Department in charge of Devolution, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), University of Nairobi Department in charge of Gender Studies, National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the County Assemblies Forum (CAF) among other partners.

Speaking during the Launch, H.E. Evalyn Aruasa, Deputy Governor Narok County, noted that although the principle of gender equality remains elusive in Kenya, Counties had made substantive progress in addressing the existent gender inequalities and promoting gender mainstreaming for inclusive service delivery at all levels.

For instance, Kilifi County, in collaboration with partners, has constructed a state-of-the-art newborn unit which has significantly reduced maternal and newborn mortality. Mandera County, on the other hand, has adopted gender-responsive budgeting and planning by taking into consideration potential gender impacts when designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating budget policies. Similarly, Narok County set aside funds to support the socio-economic empowerment of women and youth involved in beadwork through the Ushanga Initiative.

The report noted among others that: enrollment rates of girls in ECDE have sharply increased owing to robust investment in infrastructure and human resources by all Counties. A gendered approach has been adopted to the provision of healthcare services in different counties due to sustained resource allocation averaging 30% of the total county budgets.

CEO CoG Ms. Mary Mwiti emphasized the crucial role women and girls play in the national development agenda and called for the active and meaningful participation of women and girls in political leadership and other decision-making processes. “Let us shift our mindsets and move away from discriminatory retrogressive cultural practices and social norms that disadvantage our women and girls,” added Ms. Mary Mwiti while appreciating the immense support from development partners towards the formulation of the assessment report.

In order to achieve Gender mainstreaming at the County level, relevant infrastructure must be put in place. To achieve this, the assessment report recommends the creation of strong Gender Departments with adequate staff and budget provisions for enhanced gender mainstreaming and inclusive programming toward improved service delivery in all the County Departments.

“There is limited awareness of the linkage between revenue administration, enforcement, and gender issues in gender departments at the Counties,” noted Dr. Dmitry Pozhidaev - UNCDF Global Advisor for Local Government Finance while highlighting the need to incorporate the gender dimension financing aspects and governance-related factors in local Public Finance Management (PFM).

The CoG on its part will provide timely guidance to the 47 counties that are in the process of developing the 3rd CIDPs by providing minimum indicators, scorecards or gender action plans for integrating gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

Ms. Lucy Mathenge on behalf of the Deputy Country Director, UN Women Kenya Country Office lauded County Governments for the milestones achieved thus far in attaining gender equality noting that adequate financing of gender interventions and data was key in ensuring gender-responsive planning in Counties.

“As UN Women, we remain committed to supporting and advancing the gender equality agenda in Kenya as well as attainment of Vision 2030,” said Ms. Lucy Mathenge.

The recommendations of the assessment of the impact of devolution on women and girls report come at an opportune time when the Country is anticipating a leadership transition after the 9th August General Elections. The incumbent and incoming leadership were called upon to utilize the report as it offers useful insights that will inform the design and implementation of gender programmes. Further, the report will influence the development of policies that promote social inclusion, sustainable development and gender equality at the National and County level

In view of the forthcoming general elections that will usher in new leadership at the National and County level, the Council of Governors (CoG) has prioritized the facilitation of leadership transitions in County Governments to ensure continued service delivery to all citizens. The CoG held a joint consultative meeting with County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for health, Chief Officers for Health (COH), and County Directors of Health Services (CDH) at the English point marina hotel, Mombasa from 13th to 14th July 2022, to review and validate the health sector induction manual. “We are grateful for the opportunity to share our experiences in managing county health services through this induction program. This will help the new teams to settle into their roles quickly and learn from our successes and mistakes. Many of us learned to fly on the job, so we thank COG for this initiative,” stated Prof Mwanje, CECM Health Services - Vihiga County. Dr. Gordon Okomo – Chair, CDH Caucus, acknowledged that the Joint meeting between CECMs health, COH, and CDH is one of its kind and further expressed his happiness in having pioneer CECMs present in the meeting.

Speaking on behalf of the CEO CoG, Ms. Irene Ogamba, Director – Legal services at the CoG urged the County leadership present to utilize their 10-year experience in the health sector to enhance the delivery of health services to the local mwananchi. “Let us ensure that critical area of performance, governance, and delivery are well captured in a manner that envisages the minimum standards that are required for efficiency and effectiveness in operations at the Counties,” noted Ms. Irene Ogamba.

This meeting comes at an opportune time when CoG sectoral committees are developing sectoral content which will be part of the orientation program for the new County leadership to be delivered later this year. The contribution of County Governments towards the realization of the right to health for Kenyans, since the adoption of the devolution, has been immense. County Governments have reduced inequities in the distribution of health workers, particularly the specialized cadres. Further, investments in new infrastructure and equipment have increased access to health care facilities and quality health care. Despite these gains, budgetary allocations dedicated to health services remain sub-optimal to cover the increasing healthcare needs of the population. With the limited fiscal space, budgets for health commodities have been seriously constrained. Addressing such critical gaps requires policy, legislative and operational interventions.

Dr. Shikely Khadija- Chair, Chief officers’ Caucus emphasized the importance of ring-fencing finances for health adding that health resource sharing could come in handy in managing Counties wage Bill. “The management of donor transitions and sustainable resourcing for the health sector is of utmost importance,” added Ms. Claire Wanyama- Secretary general – CECM Health.

Ongoing efforts aimed at reviewing the health legislative framework to not only align to the ethos of the Constitution of Kenya but also improve operational effectiveness and efficiency at all levels of the health care system are laudable. However, success in health as a development issue requires close collaboration between the health departments and other related sectors that contribute to social determinants of health such as education, sanitation, and nutrition.

“There is a need for close collaboration and partnership between CoG, Counties, and both tiers of Government to address the barriers clawing back on devolution and consolidate the gains Counties have made in the health sector,” said Ms. Gakuo Wairimu; Strategic Partnerships Officer- USAID.

From the wide consultations undertaken, the proposed induction program will be structured to orient officers on health services as a devolved function, paying attention to the policy and legislative environment, sector governance, health services planning, status of various programs running in the counties including MES equipment, transfer of functions and resources, emerging issues in the health sector and considerations for improving service delivery. Going forward, the Council will be undertaking stakeholder consultations, and refining the induction handbooks and materials in readiness for delivery.