Council of Governors chairman Josphat Nanok has voiced concerns about the state of corruption, saying it’s an issue that must be dealt with. Addressing the press during the state of devolution address on Monday, Nanok said it’s one of the main challenges that faces implementation of devolution, “The increasing public concern over corruption poses a critical challenge to implementation of devolution that calls for both levels of government to collaborate and address firmly to restore public confidence,” said Nanok.
This comes after calls from different quarters to have the menace of corruption dealt with. President Uhuru Kenyatta has led the affirmations against corruption and revealed that other senior officials involved in graft will be arrested, following the much publicized NYS scandal.
Furthermore, with the second wave of devolution well on track after last year’s general elections, the CoG chair noted that President Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda is the focus of the Governors, saying they are the President’s biggest allies. “We acknowledge the new direction President Kenyatta has provided in the big four agenda,” he said, adding that the cooperation between County and national governments plays a major role. He lauded the peace truce between the President and Raila Odinga, given that it has paved the way for harmonious working. Nanok noted that that the Council of Governors was at the forefront of creating a committee to spearhead peace talks, “The resultant handshakes led to calm and created an environment for socio-economic growth,” he said.
Nanok outlined other impediments to the implementation of devolution, including challenges arising from a prolonged election cycle and election petitions and the scourge of climate change, which has led to floods in various Counties.
