What is the future of devolution?

This past week, I stumbled upon a social media clip by an aspirant for the position of governor in my home county. In it he was castigating the incumbent whose constitutional two terms end next year.

He pointed out that although they supported the governor in 2013 and 2017, they never interrogated his record. Consequently, as the first 10 years of devolved government comes to an end in August 2022, the county has very little to show for that period.

The above sentiment has two sides to it. The election campaign season is here in earnest. Consequently, aspirants in efforts to win the support of the electorate will criticise the incumbents and try to demonstrate how they will be much better than them if they get the chance to ascend to the office. This is normal politicking.

However, the second aspect of it should concern us. It is fairly possible that some counties have wasted 10 years of devolution. In the life of a human being these are the years of childhood moving into teen hood. They are formative and thus critical.

There are counties that have made huge strides in their development journey. From a past where access to government services for citizens of these regions was a pipe dream, there is clear evidence of improved service delivery.

The Covid-19 pandemic has tested counties. Those who elected good leadership have been able to access ICU beds, oxygen and other health supplies to combat the virus. Those, like mine that were the subject of the audio post referred to earlier in this column continue to lament over lost opportunities.

As we look to the next decade, it is important that we learn lessons from the past. The first critical lesson is the place of political parties in the success of devolution. As campaigns heat up, it is important that we assess the performance of political parties against those of their governors.

We must ask about the frameworks for nomination to these positions by the political parties, the campaign support that the party gives to the candidates, and fundamentally what accountability measures the respective party has over its candidates once they get into office.

This way the political party will link their policy pronouncements and their future promises with their track records. In addition, it will ensure that they can be held to account for the pace of development in the counties they control by virtue of having the governor and majority of the elected representatives.

Secondly, every leader aspiring to the position of governor should be assessed based on her or his contribution to the state of the county they seek to lead. Have they raised a finger when their county was stalling as some have? Have they actively engaged in the transformation journey for counties that are celebrating a decade of success? Or are they hoping that citizens will be swayed by the wave and give them a chance without any level of interrogation? This is the only way that the progress made in some counties can be sustained and the problems in others can be arrested.

Citizens too must introspect. As the audio clip above accurately captured, despite counties getting equitable allocation of resources, the difference in health services between Kisii and Homa Bay counties, for example, is too stark to be comprehended.

The only explanation is that while one county government took its task of governing seriously, the other saw an avenue to power and assumed that it could get away by doing nothing for the electorate.

Ten years down the road, there is very little evidence that this county has had leadership which knew the objects for which devolved governments were established.

Citizens have to recognise that the state of their counties is linked to their role in the electoral process. Bad choices lead to bad outcomes. Devolution is moving to its teen years. Losing the first decade is already bad.

Squandering the next decade would be catastrophic. For that reason, a reflection on the state of their county and what they want for the next 10 years should precede decisions about what kind of leader they are looking for.

Collins Odote teaches at the University of Nairobi.