Raila Challenges Ruto’s County Plan
Raila Odinga, the ex-Prime Minister, has alleged that President William Ruto has not put in sufficient effort to ensure the effectiveness of devolution for the decentralized regions.
On Thursday, the leader of Azimio highlighted five areas of deficiency in the devolution process that require attention to align with the vision outlined in the 2010 Constitution.
One of the challenges that were recognized as initial difficulties, causing trouble for counties, is insufficient funding. Raila pointed out that this lack of proper funding has greatly contributed to the poor performance in providing services.
“For instance, funding remains inadequate and its flow is uneven and unpredictable. The Controller of Budget and Central Bank need to re-look at the law. The County Allocation of Revenue Act (CARA) contains a disbursement schedule.
“Therefore, the administrative step of treasury writing a letter to CBK to release funds should not arise. CBK should implement the CARA, full stop,” Raila stated.
Raila alleged that the insufficient funding of the decentralized entities stems from bureaucratic processes within the Controller of Budget’s office, which are impeding essential progress.
He also noticed a concerning conflict between the viewpoints and duties of county chief executives and county assembly members, particularly regarding financial management and legislative roles.
Raila observed that a lack of strong cooperation between different levels of government is also contributing to the apparent lack of progress. He clarified that a significant amount of distrust exists between the national and county administrations, which has impeded the process of devolution.
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He urged President Ruto to enhance the connections between different levels of government, emphasizing that genuine commitment to devolution is essential.
“I am aware that even today, as you try to imagine and dream how best devolution can deliver more for our people, as you try to test and stretch the limits of devolution, you face skepticism and fears that you may be wrong and that it might destroy your political careers.
“My advice is that you dream on and soldier on. And I encourage you to remember the words of President Franklin Roosevelt- “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith,” Raila implored.
He described that after a decade of devolution, the ongoing conflict between the counties and the national government should be resolved.
Moreover, he recognized that within this tug of war, the Commission for Revenue Allocation is still not receiving attention, leading to an imbalanced and politically-driven revenue-sharing process between the central government and local governments, as well as among different counties, rather than a well-informed one.
Raila also pointed out that inadequate revenue collection methods are contributing to the hindered progress and advancement of counties. He observed that the local administrative divisions have struggled to generate sufficient income from indigenous enterprises, thereby impeding their overall growth as well.
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The leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party urged President Ruto to establish a more comprehensive method of gathering revenue that would extend to counties, particularly those located in rural regions.
“The problems and responsibilities the people and the counties face today demand that we reevaluate and strengthen our commitment to preserve the place of the county government and bestow it with the power, the authority, the responsibilities, and the revenues necessary to discharge those roles and meet expectations.
“In times like these, a county government may be tempted to do what the national government is doing; which is to increase charges for services they provide to generate more revenue,” Raila claimed.
Raila alleged that a considerable number of projects at the county level have not been executed efficiently, leading to Kenyans being deprived of the advantages of decentralization.
Therefore, Raila committed to ensure the efficient execution of county-level projects. He emphasized that he will persist until the national government takes appropriate action.
“While the national politicians may be getting all the attention, the action of translating policies into the improvement of livelihoods is being determined by Governors, county assemblies, and county governments.
“I see immense possibilities for county-driven growth and leadership in our country. I see the potential for a county-driven quantum leap in our country. This hidden reality is not limited to one sector or region,” Raila warned.
Raila Challenges Ruto’s County Plan
