ODM leader Raila Odinga has challenged Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to fully embrace their oversight role over county governments, warning that the responsibility does not lie with the Senate.
Addressing a joint parliamentary group meeting of ODM and UDA lawmakers in Karen, Nairobi, Raila dismissed the frequent summoning of governors by senators, saying the practice was a misplacement of mandate. “Governors should not be dragged to the Senate to answer about issues that are clearly national government functions, like roads,” Raila said. “Oversight of governors is squarely the duty of MCAs.”
The opposition chief further argued that senators risk undermining devolution by interfering with county-level accountability structures. Instead, he urged MPs to concentrate on legislation and oversight at the national level, not on implementing development projects in constituencies.
“Constituencies are not a unit of devolution. MPs have no business doing development projects because that removes the checks and balances. Implementation belongs to counties if MPs take it up, then who will oversee them?” he posed.
Raila also claimed that many constituency projects initiated by legislators have already been absorbed into county functions, rendering them redundant. He insisted that strengthening county governments through adequate funding, coupled with clear separation of roles, was the surest way to protect devolution.
