Chapter 11 of the Constitution of Kenya establishes Devolved Government in Kenya and the County Government.  To govern is to officially and legally run, manage a legal entity and in this case the County.  The County Government will thus be the persons who will be elected and appointed as stipulated in the Constitution and Acts of Parliament passed pursuant to the Constitutional dictates to run and manage each of the 47 Counties of Kenya.  Those elected as President, Deputy President, Members of Parliament, Senators, Governors, County Representatives and appointed to State Offices and Public Offices under Article 1 of the Constitution only exercise the Sovereign Power of the People of Kenya or each County only as democratically elected representatives (i.e. agents of the electorate) and for State Officers and Public Officers as delegated subordinates of the People.

Governance, that is the way the Counties shall be individually managed and run shall determine which County shall witness the growth of prosperity of its citizens or descent into deeper poverty.  The scapegoats hitherto used by the elected leadership for their dismal performance in delivering development on the grounds that the Central Government is discriminating against their regions, constituencies or tribe will not wash with the devolved governance.

The people of Western Province and North Rift must at this historical juncture ask themselves whether they are ready and getting ready at the right pace for the soon to dawn devolved County Governments.  Do all the adult residents of the Counties of Western Province and North Rift understand, comprehend what the County Governments entail?  Do you as a person over 18 years understand the meaning of the County Government and what that County Government is expected in law to do for you and what are your duties to make sure that Government accountable, and for it to deliver services to you?

West Fm states that if the people of Western Province and North Rift are not crystal clear about the reasons and objectives for which devolved Government was established under the Constitution of Kenya 2010 then they will make a false start as they will be unable to elect the correct political leadership to be the stewards of the County Government come the next general elections.

West Fm states that the preparations, the visualizations, the head hunting for talented, dedicated ,accomplished, experienced, untainted, action and result oriented persons to occupy the multiple offices whether elective or appointive in the County Governments that become operational with the holding of the next General Election ought to be in top gear now for the region, otherwise it will be got napping and end up with opportunists, charlatans and crooks come the advent of the Devolved Governance.

The religious organizations, the trade unions, civil societies the intelligentsia, (university dons, professionals, business persons, farmers, contractors) chambers of commerce, the youth groups, women groups, and other similar organizations must take it as their absolute duty to interrogate the imperatives of developed government and ensure their respective Counties are ready to roll on with the new system of governance once the next general elections are held.  Nobody else is more qualified than them to be at the forefront of the preparation and getting ready for devolved Government.

West fm states that those aspiring for political office at the National and County levels are only interested in their selfish pursuits and which is “how do I get that elective office I am gunning for” by hook or crook.  It will be abdication of the Constitutional duties of each adult citizen of the Counties of Western Province and North Rift to dream that the politicians vying for elective seats are going to prepare for the various critical pillars and structures of County Government without their being prodded and asked to table evidence of that preparation and how well it is progressing.

The electorate of Western Province and North Rift must ask, demand that each of the political parties seeking votes in their Counties call “Town Hall, church, school classroom or dining hall meetings” where they exhibit cogent, detailed presentations of how they will implement the county governance structures and objectives so that you as an electorate can benefit.  It is foolhardy for the electorate to think that by holding fire spitting rallies at the “Masinde Muliro Gardens”, Kakamega, “Posta Grounds”, Bungoma and other towns, markets or road shows translates to the politicians and their political parties having any tangible grasp, concrete plan for the devolved government and national government.  The hardware of County Government being the legal framework is now in place, the electorate must provide the software and which is the correct leadership and technocrats with integrity.

West fm states that the political rallies being held presently and the funeral speeches by the political elite  amount to nothing but entertainment and amusements, humor interludes that cannot be used to gauge whether those politicians, their political parties have anything concrete to measure up to the constitutional demands of a devolved government.  The challenge is for the electorate to demand from politicians and political parties seeking votes for national and devolved government to put pen to paper and issue pamphlets, detailing how they will manage the County and deliver the Promises of the new Constitution.

Let the politicians and political parties demonstrate how they will implement and achieve the objects of devolution in your County of;

a)     To promote democratic and accountable exercise of power

b)    To foster national unity by recognizing diversity

c)     To give powers of self governance to the people and enhance the participation of the people in the exercise of the powers of the state and in making decisions affecting them

d)    To recognize the right of communities to manage their own affairs and to further their development

e)     To protect and promote the interest and rights of minorities and marginalized communities

f)     To promote social and economic development and the provision of proximate easily accessible services throughout Kenya

g)    To ensure equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout Kenya

h)     To facilitate the decentralization of state organs, their functions and services from the capital of Kenya

i)      To enhance checks and balances and the separation of powers

The electorate of Western Province and North Rift must seize their Constitutional obligations and dictate the debate on how leadership is to be chosen and the agenda and thresholds of what is to be used to choose a party, a leader that will be effective and deliver county government  Promises under the Constitution now or they will forever remain recipients of equitable poverty, unemployment, hopelessness wrought by electing inept, ineffective, incompetent, parasitic and rudderless leadership.  And who we elect as a region as our first leaders in the devolved government will determine whether we shall rise into prosperity or sink deeper into poverty.  The first President of India - Nehru, President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Nelson Mandela are models of pioneer leaders who set foundations of integrity that have steered and inspired their countries long after their death and departure from office for Nelson Mandela.  Will Western Province and North Rift install leaders of integrity, people service stewardship or hyenas with the new dispensation of County Government? Time will tell.

WEST FM EDITORIAL©2012