We thought devolution would bring power closer to the people. But all it did was bring corruption to our doorsteps
Kenyans carry a deep, simmering anger against an establishment that remains unapologetically corrupt.
It’s a frustration older than devolution itself — the 2010 decision to divide Kenya into 47 counties, each with its own local government, in the hope that bringing power closer to the people would also bring greater accountability. But instead of transparency, what emerged was a familiar culture of patronage politics and poor oversight, now thriving at the county level.
Devolution promised to sail us to better shores; instead, our counties have become ships barely staying afloat, riddled with leaks. The same weaknesses that have long plagued national institutions have simply been replicated locally, creating environments where corruption operates with impunity and scrutiny is easily evaded.
This summary highlights reported misappropriation of public funds across select counties. Nairobi leads with over KES 35 billion lost,far surpassing others like Mombasa and Kiambu. The variation points to differing levels of oversight and financial accountability.