Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for a bold expansion of devolution, urging the transfer of more functions including education and road construction from the national government to counties. He argued that stronger local control would improve service delivery and make governance more responsive to citizens’ needs.
Speaking at the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, Odinga said Kenya’s real strength lies in its 47 counties and pressed for a fairer balance of power between Nairobi and local administrations.
“Let’s get back to business. I believe in devolution more, not less. Strong county executives should be firmly oversighted by equally strong county assemblies,” he said.
He criticised the Senate’s practice of summoning governors to Nairobi for oversight, saying county assemblies should handle local accountability matters. “If there are issues with county accounts or investments, the right approach is to deal with the chief executives within the counties not drag governors to endless appearances before Senate committees,” he added.
Odinga singled out education as a sector ready for full devolution. He proposed that funds from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) be redirected to county governments, enabling them to manage schools up to the secondary level. “It is time to end the practice of managing our schools from Nairobi. Millions meant for our children are being handled remotely tasks that rightly belong to governors and county administrations,” he argued.
He further said the current CDF framework is outdated, noting that MPs should focus on their constitutional roles of representation, legislation, and oversight, rather than distributing bursaries or constructing classrooms.
On infrastructure, Odinga maintained that county governments should be in charge of both urban and rural roads, leaving the national government to manage major highways. “In a devolved system, it makes no sense for someone in Nairobi to manage rural roads in Homa Bay or Kiambu. Counties must have the autonomy they deserve,” he said.
Describing devolution as an evolving journey, Odinga noted that with Kenya’s population projected to surpass 80 million in the next 25 years, counties must be empowered to become drivers of innovation and economic growth.
