Counties at the heart of Kenya’s transformation
Irene Galgalo-PCO
The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Devolution, Michael Lenasalon, has lauded county governments for their role in national development.
He said they are the "engines of transformation".
During the 11th State of Devolution Address at the Council of Governors’ offices in Nairobi, the PS affirmed that devolution is not merely an administrative process, but a powerful tool for inclusion, equity and grassroots service delivery.
“Devolution is the heartbeat of our governance framework. It is a covenant of trust between the people, counties and the national government,” PS Lenasalon said.
He said counties are now responsible for essential public services including healthcare, agriculture and early childhood education, bringing government closer to the people.
Economic initiatives like County Aggregated Industrial Parks (CAIPs) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), he said, are unlocking value chains and creating jobs across the country.
In the 2024/25 Financial Year, the government allocated Sh2.9 billion to 13 counties for CAIP development. He hailed the enactment of the Division of Revenue Bill 2025, allocating Sh415 billion to counties, as a milestone in fiscal empowerment.
Lenasalon also praised progress in accountability, with counties now using digitized own source revenue (OSR) systems and human resource information systems (HRIS), to help eliminate ghost workers and improve payroll integrity.
He cautioned that challenges remain. He said counties are grappling with Sh89 billion pending bills and persistent underperformance in OSR generation.
He called for urgent reforms in legal frameworks, enhanced intergovernmental collaboration and timely disbursement of funds to protect service delivery.
PS Lenasalon stressed inclusion, climate resilience, youth empowerment and investment mobilization as pillars for securing devolution's future.
The Principal Secretary invited all stakeholders to the upcoming Devolution Conference 2025 in Homa Bay County, calling it a “moment for national reflection and recalibration.”