COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS 1st ANNUAL DEVOLUTION CONFERENCE

One Year into Devolution Celebrating the Milestones, Confronting the Challenges

Remarks by: Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas UN Resident Coordinator Co-Chair, Devolution Partners Grou

!rd " ril #$%& 'eisure 'od(e Bea)h *otel

 The Honorable Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga The Speaker National Asse bly, Hon. Justin Muturi The Speaker of the Senate, Hon. !k"e !thuro, The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of De#olution $ %lanning, Ms. Anne Waiguru The Chair an Council of &o#ernors, Mr. 'saac (uto The &o#ernor of )"ale County, Mr. Sali M#urya

The Senator of )"ale County Hon. *oy Ju a *oy Honorable Senators &o#ernors, Deputy &o#ernors Chairs an+ Me bers of Constitutional Co All %rotocols ,bser#e+ Distinguishe+ -a+ies an+ &entle en, + am e,tremel- leased to .e a.le to s eak at this im ortant event, on .ehal/ o/ the Develo ment Partners su ortin( devolution in 0en-a, the 1irst "nnual Devolution Con/eren)e 2hose theme is One Year into Devolution Celebrating the Milestones, Confronting the Challenges . The roll out o/ devolution is a /ul/illment o/ the lon( )herished dream and desire .- 0en-ans /or enhan)ed servi)e deliver- as 2ell as a))essi.le, res onsive, e3uita.le, arti)i ator-, and a))ounta.le (overnan)e. 4harin( res onsi.ilitand a))ounta.ilit- under devolution o/ o2er is one o/ the national values enshrined in the 0en-an Constitution under Cha ter # "rti)le %$. B- .rin(in( servi)es )loser to the eo le, devolved s-stems o/ (overnan)e hold the ke- to trans/ormin( the lives o/ all 0en-ans, re(ardless o/ 2here the- )ome /rom,
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issions

irres e)tive o/ the oliti)al divide, ethni), reli(ious, or other a//iliations. +nvolvin( )iti5ens in the devolution a))ounta.ilit- /rame2ork, desi(ned amon( other thin(s, to )ele.rate the a)hievements and most im ortantl-, to a)kno2led(e )hallen(es and lan a ro riate solutions is a determinant /a)tor o/ su))ess. 6e are - to 2itness this da-. there/ore ha

-a+ies an+ &entle en, +n " ril last -ear, 2e (athered in Naivasha, /or the inau(ural indu)tion session 2ith ele)ted Count- leaders. +n the last one -ear, 2e are leased to 2itness the si(ns o/ )ommitment .- Count- 'eadershi that these have .een /ormulated, 2ith the to e//i)ient servi)e deliver-. The arti)i ation o/ the )ommunities. Count- +nte(rated Plans 7C+DPs8 have .een develo ed. 6e 2ould like to .elieve These C+DPs .ein( e, ressions o/ develo ment needs o/ the )ounties, demand hu(e amounts o/ resour)es, 2hi)h )annot .e met solel- /rom the national .ud(et allo)ations. The- 2ill indeed re3uire innovative resour)e mo.ili5ation strate(ies in)ludin( )ount- revenue (eneration and arti)i ation o/ the rivate se)tor. +n addition, as art o/ the a)hievements o/ Count- Governments, 2e note that rural a))ess roads are .ein( )onstru)ted, a(ri)ultural /a)ilities are .ein( renovated and 2ater .ein( rovided to rural households. There is also (reater em hasis to in)rease lo)al e)onomi) develo ment throu(h investor )on/eren)es to name .ut a /e2. 6e 2ould like to )on(ratulate -ou /or these a)hievements and also /or or(ani5in( -esterda-9s meetin( 2ith the Private 4e)tor aimed at /osterin( Pu.li) Private Partnershi s. -a+ies an+ &entle en, "s international develo ment artners, 2e are uni3uel- la)ed to sa- that 0en-a is doin( somethin( .rave and )riti)al in trans/ormin( the lives o/ its eo le. 1rom
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e, erien)es o/ other )ountries in the re(ion and .e-ond, one )an )on/identl)on/irm that not all )ountries de)entrali5e in 2a-s that o//er (enuine romise to )iti5ens the 2a- 0en-a9s devolution does. But su)h a trans/ormative )han(e, ladies and (entlemen, 2ill not ha en overni(ht. Count- (overnments learn .est .- doin(, and in the ro)ess mistakes 2ill .e made and lessons learnt. "nd 2e kno2 the ri)hest .ene/its o/ devolution )ome /rom innovation and risk takin(, in the interest o/ the 2ell-.ein( o/ the )ommunities. "n issue that is o/ (reat interest to the develo ment artners is the romotion o/ )olla.orative and )ohesive en(a(ement and artnershi s amon( all a)tors, at .oth national and )ount- levels. 1or devolution to su))eed in 0en-a, there should .e a )lear understandin( o/ the roles and res onsi.ilities o/ all state and nonstate a)tors, and an a re)iation o/ the )om lementarit- o/ these roles. There roa)h to dealin( 2ith oliti)al, needs to .e a )olla.orative and harmonious a 0en-a, and one

e)onomi) and so)ial issues understandin( the /a)t that there is one )ountr-, eo le, 0en-ans. "n- mistrust and a)rimon- onl- serves to to /o)us on )onsensus .uildin( and dialo(ue. im ede devolution and to erode u.li) (ood2ill and )on/iden)e. +t is there/ore im ortant /or the leadershi 4ervant leadershi devolution. "s 2e mark this /irst -ear, + )hallen(e all the leaders resent here to re/le)t on this 3uestion. *o2 do 2e meet the e, e)tations o/ the ordinar- man and 2oman in 0en-a: 6e al2a-s kne2 the e, e)tations 2ere hi(h and 2ill al2a-s remain hi(h and 2e )an not do2n la- the im ortan)e o/ mana(in( e, e)tations. ;.<e)tive, sin)ere and truth/ul )ommuni)ation a))om anied .u.li) arti)i ation in )ount- a//airs .e)ome e, e)tations.
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to )iti5ens must take )entre-sta(e in the (overnan)e o/

aramount in the mana(ement o/ hi(h

+n addition, man- im ortant )hallen(es remain, in)ludin( addressin( )orru tion and 2aste, a)hievin( a sustaina.le 2a(e .ill, )a a)ities and uttin( in la)e )ore )ounts-stems, and )oordination me)hanisms needed to )arr- out ro<e)ts /or )iti5ens to /eel the im a)t o/

devolved /un)tions e//e)tivel-. 6e need to see more e//orts and resour)es tar(eted to2ards develo ment -a+ies an+ &entle en, "s develo ment artners, 2e have stated in the ast, and 2e )ommit here todathat 2e /ull- su ort devolution and su ort (overnment, at national and )ountlevels to /ul/ill their mandates. ;ur 2ork is to <ourne- to(ether 2ith -ou as -ou )ele.rate the a)hievements and to re/le)t to(ether on solutions to the )hallen(es. 6e reiterate that 2e have traveled 2ith -ou and 2e 2ill )ontinue to do so /or the .ene/it o/ the eo le o/ 0en-a. 6e a re)iate the s a)e that has .een )reated /or our arti)i ation in the devolution dis)ourse in)ludin( throu(h the Devolution 4e)tor 6orkin( Grou . 6e look /or2ard to /urther en(a(ements 2ith all keinstitutions. -a+ies an+ &entle en, +n )on)lusion, let us remind ourselves o/ the ins irin( 2ords in the ream.le o/ the Constitution that should al2a-s remain our (uidin( li(ht. + 3uote= We the people of Kenya, Committe to nurturing an prote!ting the "ell#being of the in ivi ual, the family, !ommunities an the nation$ Re!ogni%ing the aspirations of all Kenyans for a government base on the essential values of human rights, e&uality, free om, emo!ra!y, so!ial 'usti!e an the rule of la"$ ( opt )na!t an give this Constitution to ourselves an to our future generations*+ &o+ *less )enya, Asanteni Sana devolution as envisioned in the Constitution.

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