Devolution: From Panacea to Pillage? A Sober Look at Kenya's Experiment

As we converge in Homabay for the annual Devolution Conference, a sense of both hope and deep disappointment hangs in the air. When devolution was enshrined in our 2010 Constitution, it was hailed as the ultimate solution to decades of skewed development and marginalization. The promise was simple yet profound: to bring resources, power, and decision-making closer to the people, empowering rural Kenya and igniting a new era of grassroots prosperity.

Fifteen years and three election cycles later, the reality on the ground paints a starkly different, and deeply troubling, picture. Instead of a panacea, devolution has, in many instances, become a "decentralization of corruption." The grand vision of a more equitable Kenya has been hijacked by a new class of "county-level warlords," whose primary agenda seems to be the primitive accumulation of wealth at the expense of the very people they were elected to serve.

                                      Delegates registration for the 2025 Devolution Conference at Homabay County

The hallmarks of our devolved units are not innovation, efficiency, or value for money. They are wastage, ineptitude, and outright kleptocracy. We have witnessed a proliferation of "new money bags" – individuals who, just a few years ago, had little to their name but have now built empires by sweeping county public coffers clean. The headlines are a depressing litany of maladaptive practices: conflicts of interest, nepotism, inflated contracts, and phantom projects. The more rural and marginalized the county, the more blatant the corruption seems to be.

The irony is that devolution was meant to correct the historical injustices of underdevelopment. Yet, many counties today have nothing to show for the billions of shillings they have received over the past decade and a half. The infrastructure is crumbling, healthcare is in disarray, and basic services remain elusive for many. The funds meant for development projects have instead been used as war chests for political parties, a convenient slush fund for governors to maintain their political grip and fund future campaigns.

This conference must not be another public relations jamboree. It is a time for a serious, gut-wrenching discussion about the future of devolution. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether devolution is a good idea in theory, but whether it is working in practice. How do we ensure that Kenyans finally get value for their money?

Counties should be centres of creativity and innovation, not cronyism and political patronage. We must create a conducive environment for free-thinking and genuine problem-solving. This requires a fundamental shift in mindset, from one of entitlement and self-enrichment to one of public service and accountability.

The path forward is clear, though difficult. We must demand serious austerity measures and cut the fat from county expenditure. Unnecessary travel, bloated delegations, and lavish allowances must be a thing of the past. Let's embrace simple, cost-effective solutions like pool transport for officials. Procurement and project implementation must be aligned strictly with the Constitution and the law, with zero tolerance for shortcuts.

And most importantly, we must hold the corrupt accountable. Corrupt officials should be prosecuted without fear or favour, and their ill-gotten wealth must be nationalized for the common good. The days of "big man syndrome" and political theatrics must end. We have seen what a governor focused on genuine development can achieve, like Irungu Kang'ata in Murang'a, and we have also seen the devastating legacy of those who prioritized public relations over public service, like the previous administration in Machakos that left the county in a state of near-bankruptcy.

Devolution, when managed with integrity and a stability of mind, has the potential to make Kenya great. But for this potential to be realized, we must stop the bleeding. We must demand that our county governors be men and women of utmost integrity, not common politicians whose sole agenda is to fill their tummies and primitively amass wealth. The future of our nation depends on it.

 

Ndungata