•The fear of plunging into political cold after the 2022 General Elections has triggered governors to push for the establishment of regional governments.
•The county bosses have suddenly threw their weight behind the calls for a three tier- system of government proposed by ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Image: ENOS TECHE
The fear of plunging into the political cold after the 2022 General Election has triggered governors to push for the establishment of regional governments.
The county bosses have suddenly thrown their weight behind the calls for a three-tier system of government proposed by ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Political observers say the county bosses, especially those set to leave office after serving their constitutional terms, are seeking a soft landing and a political life-line.
They hope they will win the regional seats and remain politically relevant besides getting jobs.
Raila argues that some counties are not economically viable and wants the Constitution changed to divide the country into 14 regions.
“The Bomas Draft divided Kenya into 14 regions, each made up of several districts. The intention was to create units with the size and population that made them economically viable,” Raila said during the Fifth Annual Devolution Conference in Kakamega in 2018.
The governors want the proposal captured by the Building Bridges Initiative team and the same passed to the public for a vote – referendum.
The three-tier system means that the country retains the current national and county governments while creating regional governments.
During a BBI rally in Mombasa last Saturday, Coast governors demanded the creation of the coast federal government.
“On governance, a federal system should be established with 70 per cent of national revenue going to the regional and country governments,” the leaders said in a resolution read by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi.
The call was backed by Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, who, a week earlier, had pushed for the creation of another tier in a rally held in Kakamega.
But the governors have disputed the observations, saying the proposed changes in the governance system will strengthen devolution.
“The three-tier system will strengthen devolution because it is not easy for small units like counties to engage a giant one like the national government,” he said.
The Kakamega Governor argued that even if the regional governments are created, it is not automatic that the governors will land the jobs as the positions are elective.
“Those arguing that we want a soft landing after our terms expire should know that it is not automatic that we will be elected. How sure are you that you will get the seats yet they are elective?” he posed.
Currently, 21 governors are serving their last terms in office. They will leave the plum jobs that have been synonymous with trappings of power and control of billions of shillings.
The county chiefs have limited options for their next course of action after 2022 polls, given that the only ‘superior’ seat to the ones they currently hold is the presidency.
Only Oparanya, Kingi, Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Kivutha Kibwana have declared interest in the country's top seat. The rest are yet to declare their next move.
University lecturer Herman Manyora reckoned that most of the governors are still young —politically — and are looking for some landing space after they leave office in 2022.
“It will give them some landing place. Most of them are young men. The Johos, Kingis, Mandagos, Oparanyas and Ojaamongs. Those are young people. In politics they are very young,” he said.
Manyora, however, opined that while the need for jobs could the motivation behind the governor’s sudden push for regional government, the same cannot rob the idea of the merits of the system.
“The case could have its own merit and that is why it was featuring prominently in the Bomas draft and many people are convinced that it is the way we should go,” he said.
Manyora’s observations mirrored those of analysts Macharia Munene and Martin Andati, who said the county bosses were looking for jobs.
Macharia warned that the self-serving push of a three-tier system of government is a threat to devolution.
“One of the bad things about it is actually killing devolution because the counties will stop being what they are in terms of the influence. If you lamp counties together and put them under one chief executive who wants to control them all, then you are killing devolution.”
But Brian Weke, a political commentator, said reducing the push for regional governments to ‘creating jobs for governor’ is mediocre and amounts to belittling the discussion of devolving more resources to the people.
“For instance, we have six governors in the Coast and most of them are serving their second terms. We can only have one regional governor.
So, having a mediocre and myopic discussion that people want to create positions for themselves, realty is belittling the discussion. We need to bring to ensure that services reach the people,” he added.