Kenya's 2010 constitution devolved significant power from the central government to 47 counties. This represented a fundamental shift in how Kenya was governed. Instead of a highly centralized state, Kenya adopted a two-tier system with national and county governments sharing power.
The promise of devolution was genuine and appealing. Services would reach people at the local level rather than being controlled from Nairobi. Communities would have representation in government closer to home. The dominance of a few ethnic groups in national politics would be diluted as county governments represented local constituencies. Previously neglected areas might finally receive investment and attention.
In its best moments, devolution delivered on this promise. Healthcare reached rural areas. Schools were built in previously underserved regions. County governments, more responsive to local needs, sometimes outperformed the national government in service delivery. The decentralization of resources and decision-making was a genuine reform.
But devolution also opened new opportunities for corruption. County governors became powerful figures with significant budgets and little oversight. Corruption at the county level has sometimes exceeded corruption at the national level. Governors have enriched themselves and their allies through misappropriation of county funds. The decentralization that was supposed to increase accountability and bring power closer to people sometimes created new forms of elite enrichment.
Devolution also intensified ethnic politics. County elections are often decided by ethnic identity. Devolution created incentives for governors to mobilize ethnic constituencies. County politics has become a site of ethnic competition in ways that mirror and sometimes exceed national ethnic politics.
The legacy of devolution is mixed. Genuine decentralization of services and authority has occurred. Corruption has also decentralized. Ethnic politics has intensified. The reform was real but incomplete, producing both genuine improvements and new pathologies.
See Also
- The Ethnicity Question
- The 2007-2008 Scar
- The State Fragility Legacy
- The Independence Dream and its Limits
- Political Assassination Legacy