Devolution is Redefining Politics, Redistribution of Resources in Kenya

By William Oloo Janak

The first serious attempt at some form of devolution in Kenya collapsed by 1965 when the Kanu Regime under Mzee Jomo Kenyatta systematically dismantled Majimbo (Regionalism) as provided for in the Independence constitution.  

That constitution was a compromise between the KANU and KADU political actors at the time and the colonial power Britain. So the provisions for a devolved system at the time were fairly weak.

The regions: Coast, Rift Valley, Central, Western, Nyanza, Nairobi, Eastern and North Eastern Provinces, never had a chance to rake off at all. North Eastern Province, in the grip of the secessionist Shifta war, was quickly put under the national government’s direct control with ruthless security operations that left bitterness to date. 

The national government starved the regional governments of funds and they folded up. But the desire for a system of devolved power and resources never died and was manifest in different forms for the next four decades.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 gave devolution the most powerful expression and anchorage, which has not been easy to dismantle by the anti-devolutionists, some of who remain fairly powerful.

A street in Kisumu: Devolution has given the City a new lease of life.

The Jubilee government is not exactly pro-devolution. President Uhuru Kenyatta jumped into the pro-constitution bandwagon almost reluctantly in 2010 while his Deputy, William Ruto led the NO campaigns against the document, in the process amassing over 2 million votes.

Ironically, the responsibility of implementing the constitution fell on the lap of the two leaders who also inherited a fairly entrenched bureaucracy with an open inclination for centralized control of power and resources. 

The push and pull between the Governors and the national government represents what, in the short term may be considered unhealthy, but in the long run, this represents a test to the resilience of the safeguards in the 2010 constitution.

True, there are huge challenges around the implementation of devolution; from the reluctant release of the funds and all functions by the National Government struggling with the reality of a new power balance, to the pilferage of resources by the powerful elite at the counties.   

But it is undeniable that devolution has begun to yield fruits, significantly challenging the whimsical exercise of state power and unfair distribution of national resources that characterized Kenya for decades.

Previously disadvantaged, discriminated, starved communities and regions have begun to savor the benefits of devolution through the trickling resources, access to power, improved infrastructure, health, agriculture, water, and some degree of citizens participation that was not the case before.

Forget the political noise and media hype on the challenges in the counties. For most of the citizens in the devolved units, the new dispensation has brought a sense of triumph and relief from a suffocating centralized control by far away Nairobi. 

The modern road and interchange on the Kisumu -Busia Road.

There is a lot of hope for a better future through devolution, despite the current hiccups. The voters in the counties are just discussing how to “sort out” those who have misused their resources and caused the slow realization of the fruits of devolution, come the August 8 2017 General Elections.

What the national government and the politicians at all levels should know is that attempts to undermine devolution will cause a serious socio-political backlash that will significantly influence the outcome of the 2017 General Elections.