Devolved system working, says poll

What you need to know:

  • Machakos residents gave the highest score, with 85.3 per cent saying they believe devolution had made a difference.
  • Other counties where devolution was highly approved of include Bomet (81 per cent), Bungoma (75.4), Migori (72.4), Kwale (69.8), Nyeri (69.8), Garissa (69.2), Kitui (65.2), Nyamira (63.2) and Nairobi (60.2).
  • Despite indicating that devolution had made a difference, the residents of the 10 counties say they have never been consulted in determining the projects, at 82.1 per cent.

A majority of Kenyans believe devolution has made a difference in their counties, a new poll shows.

The survey by Infotrack Research and Consulting, which covered 10 counties, found that 71.2 per cent of the residents believe devolution has made a difference.

However, 17.1 per cent believe it has not worked, while 12.4 say their regions are worse off than before.

The poll was conducted between March and April, interviewing 600 respondents per county, with a margin of error of +/-4 and a 95-per cent confidence.
The data was collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews covering Machakos, Bungoma, Nyamira, Nairobi, Bomet, Nyeri, Kwale, Garissa, Migori and Kitui counties. The poll was conducted for the Centre for Multi-party Democracy (CMD).

Machakos residents gave the highest score, with 85.3 per cent saying they believe devolution had made a difference.

HIGHLY APPROVED

Other counties where devolution was highly approved of include Bomet (81 per cent), Bungoma (75.4), Migori (72.4), Kwale (69.8), Nyeri (69.8), Garissa (69.2), Kitui (65.2), Nyamira (63.2) and Nairobi (60.2).

In Nairobi, 16.1 per cent of the residents believe devolution has made things worse than before, while 23.7 per cent say things have remained the same.

On the management of public funds, the residents of Machakos, at 62.3 per cent, believe their resources have been well taken care of, followed by Kwale, at 61 per cent.

In Bungoma, it was 59.5 per cent, Bomet 58.1, Migori 55.5, Nyeri 55.1, Kitui 54.6, Garissa 54.4, Nairobi 47.8 and the least is Nyamira’s 45.8 per cent.
Despite indicating that devolution had made a difference, the residents of the 10 counties say they have never been consulted in determining the projects, at 82.1 per cent.

Only 17 per cent say there is public participation in their regions.
CMD deputy executive director Carey Onyango said the organisation would use the findings to make necessary interventions in the counties.