12 Years of Devolution: Time for County Assemblies to Strengthen Oversight and Demand Accountability
John Baraka
Strategic Communications & PR Manager | Crisis Management | Digital Marketing Expert | SEO & Social Media Strategist
Honorable Members of the County Assembly,
It has now been 12 years since the establishment of Devolution under the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Over this period, we have seen significant progress in decentralizing power, delivering services, and empowering our counties to drive development. However, it is time for a candid reflection: Which law haven’t we passed at the County Assembly?
We have legislated on many issues—healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and education. Yet, the question we must now confront is not whether we have passed enough laws, but whether the rules we have passed are being implemented and whether we are effectively performing our oversight mandate.
Oversight is the True Test of Our Legislative Power
Honorable Members, the Constitution, under Article 185, grants us the legislative authority to make laws and provides the crucial mandate of oversight over the County Executive. While we have exercised the legislative function diligently, the question of effective implementation remains unresolved.
Many of the laws we have passed remain unenforced, gathering dust in government offices instead of bringing about the transformative change they were intended to. Article 183 stipulates the functions of the County Executive, but it is our oversight that will ensure that they fulfill their duties.
Budgetary Allocations – Are They Serving Our People?
We must also address the critical issue of budgeting. Despite passing budgetary frameworks year after year, there are persistent reports of misappropriation of funds and irregular expenditures. The Public Finance Management Act provides clear guidance on how public finances should be managed, yet we continue to witness failures in the utilization of county resources.
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We, the County Assembly, must intensify our oversight to ensure that every shilling allocated serves its intended purpose. It is not enough to approve budgets; we must ensure that they are implemented with transparency, accountability, and prudence.
The Real Challenge: Accountability
The time has come for us to move beyond the mere passing of laws. We must hold the County Executive to account, ensuring that all passed laws are not only enforced but also followed up with rigorous oversight. It is in this respect that we show the true strength of Devolution and the real power of the County Assembly.
12 Years of Devolution – Let’s Strengthen Our Oversight
Honorable Members, 12 years is a significant milestone, but it also marks a point where we must shift our focus to ensuring that the laws we have passed are implemented and that public funds are used effectively. The people of this county look to us for leadership and accountability. It is time to show that the County Assembly is not just a legislative body, but the real guardian of public resources and public interest.
Let us prioritize oversight, demand accountability, and ensure that Devolution delivers on the promise of better services and development for all our people.
Thank you, Honorable Members.
Public Relations & Development Communication Expert
5 个月Devolution was a brilliant idea but we denied it the opportunity to shine, n the reason for its failure to fly is many and varied, but key amongst it is the quality of our mca's, when you entrust your most critical service to mediocre and wanna be's, you'll suffer a very terrible consequences. Look at the number of impeachment, which was duly overturned by the senate, the lacklustre performance of many county assemblies n their unmitigated failure to hold the executive accountable.