Why governors have little to boast about

What you need to know:

  • According to Prof Okeyo Owuor,  an environment and economic development expert based in Kisumu County, with the transition from central to county governments, most governors had no idea what they were going to do.
  • In Homa Bay County, for instance, Governor Cyprian Awiti launched a Sh560 billion joint project with Good Earth Power, an international consortium based in Oman with interests in construction, energy, communications and land development sectors.
  • He said that county governments can get grants but this must be known by the national government. External funding for counties may run the country into bankruptcy.

Huge wage bills have been singled out as the main reason most governors have been unable to implement the multi-billion-shilling projects they launched two years after taking office.

Other challenges cited are the setting up of the county government structures, budget approvals, inadequate allocation of revenue to the counties and elaborate procurement processes.

Governors have raised concerns about budget allocations, saying the money is not adequate for full implementation of devolution.

University of Nairobi political scientist Dr Adams Oloo said most projects have not been implemented because many counties lacked core infrastructure when devolution first came into existence.

“This was a new concept in the country that came with a lot of challenges. As per  the Constitution, devolution was supposed to be done in phases, but because of teething problems coupled with power transfers, nothing much has been achieved,” Dr Oloo said in a telephone interview.

“We should not expect too much from the counties since there was no infrastructure in place when devolution came existence,” he told the Sunday Nation.
Dr Oloo said the county bosses should be given time to complete projects they launched to much fanfare two years ago.

According to Prof Okeyo Owuor,  an environment and economic development expert based in Kisumu County, with the transition from central to county governments, most governors had no idea what they were going to do.

“A majority were moving from known to unknown and should therefore be given more time to implement the projects they started,” he said.
But he said for mega projects to succeed, the governors must work closely with the national government.

DONOR FUNDING
He said most of the projects launched were initiatives of foreign investors who also depend on funding from donors.

In Homa Bay County, for instance, Governor Cyprian Awiti launched a Sh560 billion joint project with Good Earth Power, an international consortium based in Oman with interests in construction, energy, communications and land development sectors.

The project, which is supposed to include green energy power plants, roads, water treatment plants, waste management and telecommunication systems, risks becoming a white elephant despite the signing of the pact on October 10, 2013.

He said that county governments can get grants but this must be known by the national government. External funding for counties may run the country into bankruptcy.

Mr Awiti in a recent interview said that the search for investors in projects of such magnitude is a big task. The feasibility report was submitted in January last year, and the project is still on course,” Mr Awiti added.

Mr Israel Agina, chair of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Kisumu, said devolution needs time to yield results.