Waiguru stand angers governors
Cabinet Secretary for devolution Anne Waiguru and Permanent Secretary for devolution Mwanamaka Mabruki at a press conference at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu during the Devolution Conference. On May 21, 2015, the 11-member team led by nominated MP Sophia Abdi handed in its report to Devolution CS. FILE PHOTO | TOM OTIENO |
What you need to know:
- “We cannot devolve security now as this will create two or more lines of command and create confusion rather than tackle insecurity,” Ms Waiguru said on the sidelines of the second devolution conference in Kisumu.
- Chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto said: “We need dialogue to see what role counties should play in security because the discussion now is not if they should, but how they should,” said Mr Ruto.
- “Although security is a national government function, the request by governors is not entirely irrational because they have worked to do that cannot really be done without security,” said Prof Wanyande.
Governors Thursday reacted with fury to comments by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru that security services will not be devolved as they had proposed.
Ms Waiguru on Wednesday said that it was premature for the governors to ask for devolution of security saying it was constitutionally a preserve of the national government.
The CS was reacting to requests by governors for the devolution of the Administration Police under the command of governors. She said that would create confusion.
“We cannot devolve security now as this will create two or more lines of command and create confusion rather than tackle insecurity,” Ms Waiguru said on the sidelines of the second devolution conference in Kisumu.
However, speaking to the Nation outside the official session, governors said that Ms Waiguru displayed high-handedness and rigidity in an issue they described as complex and critical.
Chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto said: “We need dialogue to see what role counties should play in security because the discussion now is not if they should, but how they should,” said Mr Ruto.
He added: “Right now, we ask that the police be properly equipped and well-trained to tackle crime.”
Prof Peter Wanyande of the Constitution Implementation Commission supported the push by governors to control security.
NOT ENTIRELY IRRATIONAL
“Although security is a national government function, the request by governors is not entirely irrational because they have worked to do that cannot really be done without security,” said Prof Wanyande.
The governor’s security committee chairman Hussein Dado said that by asking for the APs, the county bosses were not demanding too much.
“Ms Waiguru’s are dinosaur ideas that have been overtaken by time. Let us leave this idea that we are protecting our own turf, because, really, counties have as much stake in their own security as the national government,” said the Tana River Governor.
Mr Dado had chaired a heated session on Tuesday in which the county bosses insisted that the devolution of security was not a matter of if but when.
The governors cited the Garissa University College attack that left 148 people dead, saying the area governor would have done much better if he was in charge of security.
“It was only Governor Nadhif Jama of Garissa who was in the dark. If he had his own forces that do not have to wait for command from Nairobi, I am sure we would have saved lives,” he said.
Nyamira governor John Nyagarama said that it was irresponsible of Ms Waiguru to dismiss the proposal by the governors.
Nakuru governor Kinuthia Mbugua said: “We need to rethink and reorient our security agencies to the current system of devolution and the new threats we all face today,” Mr Mbugua said.
Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu said the national government was missing an opportunity to deal with challenges of insecurity.
Trans Nzoia governor Patrick Khaemba asked why the national government was uneasy with the suggestion.
