President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday set a condition for governors to get Ksh50 Billion in two programmes that he launched during the Devolution Conference 2018 in Kakamega County.
Delivering his speech which was streamed live from State House Nairobi, the president stated that county governments would be entitled to benefiting from the programmes by the national government on the condition that they performed.
The two programmes: the Kenya Devolution Support Programme and the Kenya Urban Support Programme are geared to boosting the capacity of the county governments.
[caption caption="Devolution conference 2018"]
[/caption]
"Both, combined, will inject Ksh 50 Billion into your county governments, to help you build and improve the systems that support your staff, and your delivery of services.
“Just like us in the National Government, you must also strive to perform to the very highest standards, and must be ready to take a stern view of public servants who give in to lethargy and sloth,” the President stated.
[caption caption="Devolution conference 2018"]
[/caption]
The theme of the five-day 5th Annual Devolution Conference held at Kakamega High School in the Western Kenya traditional capital of Kakamega is ‘Sustainability, productivity, effective and efficient governments for results delivery’.
President Kenyatta emphasized that the adoption of the two programmes demonstrated his Administration’s commitment to devolution that truly works and serves every Kenyan.
He further lauded the success of devolution, saying more than Ksh 1 Trillion was transferred to counties to take essential services closer to the people in the last five years.
The Head of State observed that eight years ago when the country ushered in a new constitutional dispensation, few could have imagined that Kenyans would today be celebrating five transformative years of devolution.
“There are, indeed, many doubting Thomases out there, who did not expect a democracy as young as ours to so effectively manage the most fundamental change in our governance since independence,” Uhuru conveyed.
[caption caption="Devolution conference 2018"]
[/caption]
He added: “But to the surprise of many, in a short period of five years, we have firmly established a new tier of government, and held two sets of elections to it.”
The President cited, as some of the key milestones of devolution, the establishment of a legislative process firmly rooted in the county assemblies and the election of three distinguished ladies to the position of Governor for the first time in the country’s history.
Governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Dr. Joyce Laboso (Bomet) beat their male competitors in the fiercely contested last General Election to clinch the gubernatorial seats in their respective counties.
“This, indeed, is yet another milestone in our political history: a reflection of how far we have come as a people, and how our democracy has matured. I, like other Kenyans, look forward to a future when at least half the leaders in this room are women,” the President added.
[caption caption="Devolution conference 2018"]
[/caption]
