Devolution: So much to celebrate

Kenya: The Devolution Conference gets underway in Mombasa Wednesday. Looking back, there is so much to celebrate over the devolved system.

Despite the initial teething problems, for millions, life will never be the same again. In the past, new dawns have signaled false beginnings. Transitioning from a centralised system of government where development funds were distributed at the whims of mandarins at the Treasury to one where all have an equal access to the money, one senses a really new dawn.

It has made life and governance easy for millions. Critical functions previously carried out at the national level have been taken to the local level. Government is so close, the people could touch it.

Devolution has made it easy for the citizens to hold their leaders to account for their positions of privilege. Previously, a leader would be elected and the next time he is seen in the villages is five years later when he is seeking re-election. This has been an expensive affair for many as hopes are dashed and expectations remain unmet for many.

With devolution, this is changing. There is light at the end of the tunnel.  Transformation is being witnessed in once dusty, sleepy villages. From Kwale to Turkana, from Mandera to Migori, there is a renewed sense of hope in the country that we have finally gotten it right. Earthmovers are rolling down to blast rock into roads that will open up once remote locations.

Water projects are springing up in the countryside as governors and MCAs do their best to assuage the thirst of millions with little or no access to clean water. Moreover, thousands have been employed in these new units and educated youth who once lay wasted at home finally have a job to do. The cultural diversity has been reinforced within the 47 units.

In a nutshell, ugatuzi is working miracles. We must celebrate it. The above points to a rosy picture yet there are the rotten apples in the devolution basket. Those should be thrown away. Isolating the few whose actions have countered the devolution spirit will restore the confidence needed to solidify it. In the meantime, no one could begrudge anyone for tossing to a year of devolution.