MCAs must be morally upright and competent

It has been four years now since Kenya ushered in the devolved form of government. Thus, other than the national government, were have county governments, complete with elected leaders and an assembly. Counties and their assemblies also hire their own staff independent of the national government and Parliament.

But in all these, the regional assemblies stand out as the most important institutions in the success of devolution. While there have been major successes, devolution has also recorded its fair share of failures. However, critical lessons have been learned and Kenyans are facing the future full of optimism.

For us to enjoy the fruits of devolution more than we have done so far, focus must shift to MCAs. Other than being the people’s representatives, MCAs are charged with the responsibility of legislating. They are also expected to provide oversight to the executive to ensure billions of shillings counties receive from the national government and donors as well as what they collect locally in taxes and other levies are well used.

Thus, as we head into the 2017 General Election, Kenyans need to ensure the right people are elected as MCAs. We need competent and morally upright individuals in the county assemblies and not those whose major interests are the hefty salaries, cheap car loans and generally, an opportunity to get rich quickly by stealing public resources or through fraudulent dealings. And since these responsibilities are major, we must also make sure we elect people with a certain level of education. Kenyans should not re-elect MCAs who have been mentioned in scandals. They should thoroughly vet the new entrants before they are voted in.