Benefits of devolution in kenya pdf

The process of devolution is seen as being made up of three separate factors. However, some of the benefits of devolution cited included better resource management, better service delivery, faster decision making, dr. However, intuition is usually not considered a valid argument in the political or scientific marketplace. Introduction the constitution of kenya has enhanced citizen participation and given the people a chance to determine how matters are run in the country.

Effectively in britain and spain devolution was a more modern and convenient way for them to get the benefits of a federal system without the problems of. In africa, south africa emerged as the front runner in the devolution race while kenya, uganda, rwanda and zimbabwe followed suit. Devolution and health in kenya consultative meeting report. Guy lodge is associate director for politics and power at ippr. This means that any one level of government is not under any obligation to refer to or seek authority from the centre in order to make or implement decisions that fall within their exclusive jurisdiction. Mr kinuthia wamwangi, a devolution expert and former chairman of the defunct transitional authority, singles out health and infrastructure as the biggest success stories of devolution, which have had. Kenyan devolution could not benefit from ugandas initial experimentation. In the fifteen months that have followed, most county governments have appointed executive committees, passed their first budgets and adopted their first integrated development plans, and have begun recruiting their own staff. In 2010, kenya passed a new constitution that introduced 47 semiautonomous county. It requires enormous effort, teamwork, and, at times, a fighting spirit and willingness to tackle the most difficult of issues. It is against this backdrop that on may 21, 2014, kpmg hosted a conference devolution of healthcare services in kenya. How does decentralisation affect planning, budgeting and. How devolution has impacted positively on kenyans the standard.

Devolution is also practiced in spain for many of the same reasons as in britain. Devolution is one of the most fundamental changes to the way decisions are made for local areas and how public services are funded. Whilst the potential benefits of devolution in the health sector are well documented, it is important to monitor the actual implementation experiences of devolution and how it impacted on health service delivery in practice. He notes that any form of devolution implies some degree of sub. It is clear that these challenges have affected the implementation of devolution in kenya. Decentralization in kenya background note september 2010.

Pdf the adoption of devolved system of government in kenya was a desire. The kenya accountable devolution program kadp works with government at both county and national levels. Devolution may promote regressive effect at subnational level because of high administrative and competition costs. This document was prepared by the health policy project for the ministry of medical services and the. Decentralization in kenya background note september 2010 main author. Devolution is one of the most transformative changes to kenyas governance system brought about by the constitution of kenya, 2010. The objects of devolution as provided for in articles 174 and.

Cardinal principal of devolution is to decentralise administrative, financial and political power to the local level in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the government of a sovereign state to government to government at a sub national level. According to dacks 1990, devolution means the transfer of powers from a higher or central order of government to a regional or local order of government. This article examines changing patterns of governance characterised by devolution as well as other developments associated with shifting centreperiphery relationships and their influences on conflict in northern kenya. The promulgation of kenya s constitution in 2010 enunciated a plethora of reforms key amongst them being. This has not been without consequences, as it has also impacted the devolution process. Kenya had a form of devolution under the independence constitution of 1963. With the devolved systems, it is easier to achieve growth both at national and county development. The government has taken important steps towards this goal over the years, emphasizing that the. Devolution is a principle of good governance devolution in kenya, by its character, object and principles, envisioned to provide opportunity for greater citizen participation in local development.

It has also allowed for transfer of powers to the 47 county governments. Kenya s emphasis on public participation resonates with global experience, which shows that building bottomup participatory mechanisms is a key ingredient to effective decentralization, said chris finch, team leader of the world bank s kenya accountable devolution program. Most counties especially in the arid and semiarid lands have been able to open up to the outside counties. I analyze how the constitutional promise of devolution is being operationalised in the education sector. Kenya has also developed and adopted several policy papers on devolution that were used as the basis for implementing devolution, including the enactment of different enabling pieces of legislation. The third is on public financial management, and the fourth and final section is on implementation issues. Devolution in natural resource management 9 subdistrict wildlife management structures a position that allows them to divert some of the benefits of cbnrm to building their own power base. Many of us intuitively feel that local control often produces better results than central control. Kenya devolution study 2 legislation of each county will provide for villages as further decentralized units. To facilitate this some of the changes had to be made in the health sector which included. This is important in ensuring that citizens benefit from the gains.

Pdf benefits and challenges of devolution in kenya elvis. However, the same word is often used to describe different things. The major impact has been the opening up of once marginalized areas of our country. The constitution created a decentralized system of government where two of the three arms of government, namely the legislature and the executive were devolved to the 47 political and. With the implementation of the new constitution and coming into force in 20, counties have continued to agitate for more political, fiscal and administrative powers so that they are able to mobile resources to their respective counties.

Kenya is the most prominent success story of devolution in africa. From the need for equal distribution of resources and powers to public participation, here are some of the advantages of decentralization in kenya. The enlightened and visionary elites in kenya are strong supporters of devolution and highlight its benefits in the light of an accelerated socioeconomic growth in the counties. Furthermore, not much has happened by way of legislation to enact and implement decentralisation. The constitution created a decentralized system of government where two of the three arms of government, namely the legislature and the executive were devolved to the 47 political and administrative counties.

The dynamics of devolution in zimbabwe a briefing paper on local democracy. The program addresses key capacity gaps to make devolution respond to citizens needs through strengthened institutions, improved service delivery and citizen engagement. The thinking behind this was that the asal regions were unproductive thus the need to mobilise resources to the highland region in kenya. Devolution of power can address the main challenges of underdevelopment in any government. This study examines the challenges and opportunities of decentralized political systems with special reference to kenya. Devolved framework for agriculture is anchored in part 2 of the fourth schedule, providing. Kenyas emphasis on public participation resonates with global experience, which shows that building bottomup participatory mechanisms is a key ingredient to effective decentralization, said chris finch, team leader of the world bank s kenya accountable devolution program. People credit their increased living standard and bountiful possibilities directly to devolution and highly appreciate it. A range of sources of revenue are available to county governments to fund devolved functions including health see table 2. Kenyas decentralization is among the most rapid and ambitious devolution processes going on in the world, with new governance challenges and opportunities as the country builds a new set of county governments from scratch. Devolution and public participation in kenya foreword the constitution of kenya was promulgated on 27th august, 2010, following a long process of development.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of devolution. With the promulgation of the constitution 2010, kenyans ushered in a new form of governance where the central government had to cede some. Effects of devolved governance on organizational performance. Analyzing the impact of devolution on economic development. Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. In england, devolution is the transfer of power and funding from national to local government. Klrc has an additional mandate of preparing new legislation to give effect to the constitution. The devolved system of governance allows for the citizens to exercise their sovereign power. Devolution in kenya can be traced back in 2010 where kenyans welcomed a new constitution. Oct 20, 2016 the major impact has been the opening up of once marginalized areas of our country. To achieve the goal of devolution there should be a better working relationship between the two levels of. O box 14634 00800, nairobi, kenya e mail of the corresponding author. It is with this in mind that transparency international kenya published this handbook, which is a simple analysis of devolution as per the constitution of kenya 2010 and the laws that have been enacted to operationalise devolution. The process of devolution, its advantages and disadvantages.

Building public participation in kenyas devolved government. Introducing devolution in education policy and law this paper examines the juridical or legal and policy framework on devolution and education. The design of a multilevel form of government, such as devolved form of government, in a constitution or otherwise, is always a response to both. Actionaid published by actionaid denmark october 2014 about the research for this paper the research on which this briefing is based was commissioned by actionaid international zimbabwe. This means that any one level of government is not under any obligation to refer to or seek authority from the centre in order to make or implement decisions. In kenya, the case is similar, there are 48 devolved governments and mombasa county is. It is our intention to empower kenyan citizens by providing. Page 2 of 21 introduction kenya has a new constitution and as a result the country is embarking on fundamental devolution of power. The 2010 constitution of kenya is a turning point in countrys history as it reconfigured balance of power by devolving power and. The kenya national bureau of statistics knbs puts the current poverty level in makueni at 60 per cent, four per cent lower than. This study is important in pointing out the various challenges devolution might face in kenya. Instituted in 20, devolution in kenya seeks to bring government closer to the people by devolving political and economic resources to kenya s fortyseven county governments. Pdf devolution and expected impact in kenya researchgate.

The second section discusses the implications on the structure and functions of government. Devolution of public health care services in kenya and its implication on equity and universal health 11 iii. Article 174 of the constitution provides that one of the key objectives of devolution is to promote social and economic development and provide proximate, easily accessible services throughout kenya. Devolution transforming the lives of kenyans undp in kenya. For close to three decades kenyans clamoured for a new consti tution and a change in the. Regions such as the north eastern have continued to be marginalised the same case as the arid and semiarid lands. Even with the several positive impacts of devolution in kenya, several problems inhibit its implementation fully. Hailed as the great compromise of kenyas new 2010 constitution, devolution was one of the hallmarks of the transition from a previously centralized political system, which was largely blamed for vast inequality, exclusion and deep divisions in kenyan society. Devolution is the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level especially by national government to a local or regional or county administration. According to the constitution of kenya chapter 11, section. Speaking at the event, the acting undp resident representative who is also the chair of the devolution working group, michel bulima, said development partners are willing to partner with counties and national governments to address devolution challenges and ensure the hopes and aspirations of kenyans are realized. The adoption of devolved system of government in kenya was a desire of citizens who wanted access to public services closer to them. But although there has been a gradual progress on devolution, not much has been done to further enshrine the principles into a coherent policy to guide the devolution process throughout the whole of government. Instituted in 20, devolution in kenya seeks to bring government closer to the people by devolving political and economic resources to kenyas fortyseven county governments.

Health indicators the government of kenya has remained committed to the improvement of the health outcomes in the country. It expresses the general will of the nation, its history aspirations and vision. This means that any one level of government is not under an. This means that while kenya will not have a devolved level of local government below the county level, there will be elected officials representing those smaller geographic units. Devolution is about change and change does not come easy. Kenya s decentralization is among the most rapid and ambitious devolution processes going on in the world, with new governance challenges and opportunities as the country builds a new set of county governments from scratch. Following devolution reforms in kenya, two levels of government are formally recognised national level and 47 county governments. It is a regional and crossborder issue, with a strong political dimension that goes beyond the existing humanitarian. Kenyas first county assemblies, governors and senators were elected on march 4 20. People whom the nation spoke to painted a rosy picture, and were optimistic about the benefits of county governments. The delivery of equitable and efficient services requires proper planning, budgeting, and timely execution, he said.

An emerging reality, for instance, is the ignorance that surrounds the devolution process, its operation and benefits, suggesting a failed public education strategy on the process. Decentralization has also appeared in the form of devolution of major functional responsibilities such primary education, health, water, and sanitation, and rural feeder roads from the central to local governments. Stephen njuguna, county director of health, kiambu county career development and expansion of health services. The negative press that tended to define conversations on devolution, ranging from mcas travel to exotic destinations and governors spending more time.

The new constitution divides the country into 47 counties, to which both political power and government functions will be devolved. Devolution of health services in kenya, what you need to know of devolved healthcarephoto. National values and principles of governance kenya. The role of devolved governments in a strong national social security system. Kenya s first county assemblies, governors and senators were elected on march 4 20. Devolution and education law and policy in kenya prof ben sihanya, jsd stanford1 1. Devolution, shifting centreperiphery relationships and. This report argues that devolution will benefit not just. Analyzing the impact of devolution on economic development potentialities in kenya gathu joseph ndungu department of international relations, school of humanities and social sciences, united states international university africa, p. Devolved territories have the power to make legislation relevant to the area and thus granting them a higher level of autonomy devolution differs from federalism in that the. Most counties especially in the arid and semiarid lands.