Devolution working for Mandera, Ali Roba says

Mandera Governor Ali Roba has scoffed at a proposal by Orange Democratic Movement’s leader Raila Odinga for a constitutional review to form a three-tier government.

Mr Roba termed the suggestion by Mr Odinga as a setback for devolution that he said has transformed Kenyan lives across the country.

“What Mr Raila is talking about in Nairobi is not acceptable in this part of the country and we cannot accept to be taken to Garissa for services,” said Mr Roba.

He said devolution has helped Mandera County achieve a lot in the past five years and it is in the process on getting better but the Raila’s proposal threatens to scuttle those gains.

“We are having our first tarmac road in fifty years and many other new things have come our way and he (Raila) is proposing that we go back to Garissa. We will not accept that,” Mr Roba said.

“How can Mandera be getting its share from Garissa when in the past we were forgotten and what will change?” he asked.

PROPOSAL

While attending the 5th Annual Devolution Conference in Kakamega, the opposition leader proposed the establishment of a three-tier government as one of the ways of finding lasting solutions to the problem posed by economically weak devolved units.

Mr Odinga based his argument on the the Bomas Draft Constitution that divided Kenya into 14 regions, each made up of several districts.

Mr Odinga said the intention was to create devolved units that are economically viable.

Under the draft, the role of the regional governments was to coordinate the implementation, within districts, of programmes that cut across devolved units.

Governor Roba said the opposition leader needed to know that governors have since form economic blocs to coordinate large-scale inter-county programs.