Treasury Cabinet nominee John Mbadi has sparked a national conversation on the structure and sustainability of Kenya's devolution model.
Speaking during his vetting by the Committee on Appointments, Mbadi argued for a shift from the current county-based system to a more consolidated regional government framework, citing financial inefficiencies and the long-term viability of the current system.
"This constitution is very expensive," Mbadi stated emphatically.
"We should have had counties as agents of development but not governments."
Since the implementation of the 2010 Constitution, Kenya has seen the establishment of 47 county governments, each with its own administrative and financial structures.
While this model was designed to decentralize power and bring development closer to the people, Mbadi argues that the cost of maintaining these multiple layers of government has become unsustainable.
"We have to re-look into devolution," he continued.
"We shouldn't cut any further funds we allocate to counties otherwise, we will kill devolution. We owe it to future generations to protect devolution at any cost."
The nominee opined that regional systems in place of the current devolution plans would cut the operation cost for the country.
By advocating for regional governments, Mbadi suggests a middle ground that retains the spirit of devolution while addressing its financial burdens.
Under this proposed model, several counties would be merged into larger regional entities, reducing administrative costs and potentially enhancing the delivery of services.
“If we could have a system where we have regional governments and then now devolve resources,” Mbadi proposed.
However, a section of leaders have been lobbying for more counties in the region, arguing that their communities are marginalized by the current arrangement.
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