Counties score poorly in survey of devolved functions

Council of Governors Chairman Josphat Nanok addressing the media during the State of Devolution address in June 2018. A report by EACC shows that county governments are performing dismally in some critical devolved functions. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kenyans rated the devolved governments poorly in the provision of firefighting services and disaster management.
  • The latest EACC statistics are compounded by the fact that departments under which these functions fall were rated as the most prone to corruption.
  • Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa asked county bosses to fully embrace the national government’s anti-corruption campaign.

County governments are performing dismally in some critical devolved functions, a report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has revealed.

The National Ethics and Corruption Survey, 2017 shows 52 percent of Kenyans rated the devolved governments poorly in the provision of firefighting services and disaster management.

Another 50 percent of respondents in 5,977 households interviewed between September 18 and October 24 in 2017 said the county administrations were performing poorly in the control of drugs and pornography, while 43 per cent cited poor services in water and sanitation and storm water management systems.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Other functions where performance was poor were ensuring and coordinating participation of communities and locations in governance (42 per cent), cultural activities (39.70 per cent), agriculture (39.30 per cent), control of air and noise pollution (38.40 per cent) and county health services, facilities and cemeteries (38 percent).

Respondents also felt the counties were not doing well in forestry and soil conservation, corroborating an earlier finding by a 14-member task force reviewing forestry management, which showed counties are yet to take charge of specific forestry functions identified by the Constitution.

The taskforce had in May found that only 17 out of the 47 counties had signed the Transition Implementation Plans to facilitate the transfer of functions related to management of community and private forests.

On water and sanitation, the Council of Governors (CoG) recently blamed inadequate financing, high non-revenue water and other outstanding issues as impediments to attaining universal water coverage.

WATER

CoG boss Josephat Nanok said in his state of devolution address that an inter-governmental framework on water has been signed to ensure coordination and collaboration between the two levels of government in the sector.

The latest EACC statistics are compounded by the fact that departments under which these functions fall were rated as the most prone to corruption.

The Finance and Planning Department, which disburses funds to implement these functions, was the most prone to graft at 18 per cent. It was closely followed by county health services at 15.2 per cent, transport department at 12.6 per cent and public works department at 11.7 per cent. The county planning department ranked fourth at eight per cent while the public service board followed at 6.7 per cent.

A majority of Kenyans at 43.6 per cent feel that governors are not committed to the fight against corruption and promotion of ethical conduct in the public service while only 30 per cent feel they do.

“The survey also collected information on the level of confidence in stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the fight against corruption and promotion of sound ethical conduct. At least 51.7 per cent have no confidence in county governments to fight corruption and unethical conduct,” the report said.

Last week, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa asked county bosses to fully embrace the national government’s anti-corruption campaign to tame wastage and embezzlement of public funds.