The Principal Secretary for Devolution, Michael Lenasalon, has urged county governments to re-engineer their operations and embrace innovation so as to harness their counties’ full potential.
Speaking during the official opening of the 2025 Devolution Conference in Homa Bay on Wednesday, the PS reaffirmed that devolution remains central to ensuring no region in Kenya is left behind regardless of their geographical location or economic inequalities.
“Since inception, devolution has transformed our governance landscape. It has brought public services closer to the people, accelerated grassroots development and created opportunities for participatory governance,” he added.
The PS joined other leaders in celebrating the commendable milestones achieved under devolution and reaffirmed the State Department for Devolution’s commitment to supporting effective implementation of devolution by empowering county governments to deliver services more effectively.
To unlock devolution’s full potential, he noted, it will require re-engineering of governance structures and seizing opportunities presented by technological advancements, a goal he said can be pursued through a series of targeted measures.
He outlined several measures, including embedding a performance culture, institutionalising performance management, linking budgets directly to service delivery outcomes, and creating climate-smart cities through satellite monitoring for urban planning compliance.
Other recommendations include transforming waste management into circular economies, democratising healthcare access through artificial intelligence, using drones for medical supply chains, and establishing county innovation funds.
He also called for public-private co-creation platforms and strengthening citizen engagement through open governance tools.
This year’s devolution conference is the ninth edition and it witnessed increased participation of the civil society organisations, which the National Steering Committee Chair and Nyeri County Governor Mwalimu Mutahi Kahiga said was a deliberate move to promote inclusivity.
“Our communiqué will capture varied resolutions and bring more institutions to the implementation table,” Kahiga said, stressing the importance of intergovernmental collaboration, faster legislation, and deeper private sector engagement.
Governor Wanga, on the other hand, said it was a privilege to host DevCon 2025 and thanked the Council of Governors for trusting Homa Bay’s ability to stage the national event.
She also thanked President William Ruto for supporting the county’s development agenda, highlighting flagship projects made possible through partnership with the national government, including the dualling of the main highway in Homa Bay town and the massive transformation of the lakefront.
She admitted that the impact of devolution is undeniable, and as a government, their task is to make devolution work for all Kenyans by ensuring equity, inclusion and social justice.
“Homa Bay is a model of devolution’s potential. We have revitalised our county into a hub for business and investment, with ambitions to achieve city status in the next decade,” said the governor.
The conference ends on Friday and was officially opened by President William Ruto with calls for inclusivity and equity, setting the tone for accelerated county development and challenging governors to create strategies for reducing poverty levels.
By Sitna Omar
