Governors to push for referendum
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy (left) and his Garissa counterpart Nathif Jama at The Governors' Summit 2014 at Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha on January 20, 2014. The two governors have threatened to push for devolution of education through a referendum if the government fails to decentralise the function. PHOTO/Suleiman Mbatiah
What you need to know:
- Garissa governor Nathif Jama and his Lamu counterpart Issa Timamy said devolving services without including education was irrelevant.
- The county chiefs said that the Council of Governors was engaging the national government to ensure that education was devolved to counties.
Two governors have threatened to push for devolution of education through a referendum if the government fails to decentralise the function.
Garissa governor Nathif Jama and his Lamu counterpart Issa Timamy said devolving services without including education was irrelevant.
For a county to develop, it had to manage matters touching on education, they said in Masalani Town, Ijara sub-county.
“It is local leaders who understand what the problem in our secondary and primary schools is,” said Mr Jama.
He said schools from the counties had been ranked last in the national examinations for the last 50 years.
This is a clear indication that challenges facing education could not be addressed from Nairobi, they added.
The county chiefs said that the Council of Governors was engaging the national government to ensure that education was devolved to counties.
But if that option fails, they will push for a referendum on the issue.
Dr Timamy said arid areas faced unique challenges that can only be addressed by counties.
