Devolution takes time before its fruits are realised fully, World Bank Country Director for Kenya
Felipe Jaramillo has said.
Jaramillo, who met with Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, drew comparisons between Kenya and his native country
Colombia.
"It took us about 10 years before proper decentralisation took hold with the biggest challenges being inadequate capacity and oversight," he said.
Jaramillo, who also serves as Country Director for Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda
appreciated Kenya as one of the top 10 consumers of the World Bank's products.
"World Bank supports inclusive growth and poverty reduction through a wide array of financial products and technical assistance," he said.
The duo discussed the impact of devolution in Kenya as well as the challenges to the realisation of its full potential.
Speaker Lusaka
said devolution ushered in immense changes. However, he said, the
government is able to closer to the people; dispersing political power and economic resources to the grassroots.
“While its positive effects have been felt, it has not escaped the vagrancies of human vices," he said.
"There is, therefore, immediate need to build the capacity and staffing of critical institutions such as the Office of the Auditor General for it to execute its mandate sufficiently."
