A recent survey conducted by Twaweza East Africa highlights that the success of devolution in Kenya is significantly hindered by corruption and the mismanagement of funds, according to the sentiments of six out of ten Kenyans.
This view, expressed by 62% of respondents, is twice as prevalent as any other issue mentioned.
The survey, carried out between July 19 and 27, 2023, also identified poor financial management (31%), insufficient funds (25%), and inter-county inequality as key challenges.
Some respondents pointed to issues such as the disbursement of funds to counties and political interference by the national government.
Interestingly, nearly half of Kenyans (47%) remain uncertain about the overall impact of devolution, with minimal variation across different demographic groups
6Dissatisfaction with county revenue collection is noted by 51% of respondents, while only 33% express satisfaction.
Additionally, 30% of the population believes that county taxes are excessive.
Twaweza East Africa Country Lead, Dr. James Ciera, acknowledged the signs of increased citizen engagement and improved services but emphasized the challenges associated with money control, allocation, and lost funds.
Devolution Principal Secretary Teresia Mbaika emphasized the need for collective action between national and county governments to address citizens’ concerns for effective service delivery, emphasizing the importance of involving the youth in the devolution journey.
The survey also revealed that a significant portion of the population believes it is not easy to influence county decision-making (70%), meet county leaders (67%), or access information on county laws, budgets, or projects (65%).
Despite these challenges, 75% of Kenyans feel that devolution has led to better service delivery, with 58% citing positive economic development across devolved units.
Residents of Elgeyo Marakwet and Makueni showed more positive views towards devolution, with higher percentages praising its implementation, acknowledging improvements in local health services, expressing a positive outlook on its impact, and actively participating in meetings.
While 83% of Kenyans express support for devolution, recognizing its advantages in promoting inclusivity and accountability, challenges such as disparities in resource distribution among counties (56%) and insufficient county budgets (52%) are acknowledged.
The mobile survey, titled ‘Power to the People? Kenyan citizens’ experiences and opinions on ten years of devolution in practice,’ involved 3,746 respondents selected through random sampling.
