Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi defended the devolution programme, saying that county governments have together received roughly KSh4.4 trillion in revenue allocations over the last fifteen years.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 County Public Service Boards National Consultative Forum in Kisumu on Tuesday, he called devolution the “jewel in the crown” of the 2010 Constitution and said the flow of funds to the 47 counties has reshaped governance and brought services closer to people.
Mudavadi highlighted that the revenue-sharing system has turned county administrations into major employers, with about 230,000 Kenyans working in devolved units, and stressed the importance of sound human-resource management.
He urged County Public Service Boards to keep reviewing their operations, boost institutional capacity and equip staff with the skills needed to obtain value for money, stating, “Through the County Public Service Boards, which are the umbrella entities that manage human resource capacity in our county governments, they must constantly review, retool and make sure that we are always getting value for money when it comes to human resources in our county governments.”
Mudavadi added that the annual forum allows stakeholders to evaluate county performance, exchange experiences and find ways to raise public-service efficiency, and he called for stronger cooperation between national and county governments.
He reminded that the Constitution guarantees counties no less than 15 per cent of nationally raised revenue based on the most recent audited accounts, and noted that allocations have risen by more than KSh100 billion in the current financial year.
Mudavadi cautioned against measuring the national government’s contribution solely through the revenue-sharing formula, pointing to parallel investments in roads, agriculture, rural electrification and other infrastructure, and said, “Please look beyond the revenue-sharing mechanism. That is only one component. Sometimes we tend to forget what roles the national government is undertaking in a particular town and how much is being invested in agriculture, rural electrification and providing different types of infrastructure.”
Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o echoed the need for robust County Public Service Boards, urging merit-based recruitment, continuous professional development, accelerated digital transformation and a strong culture of integrity, professionalism and accountability.
Nyong’o concluded that the true test of devolution lies in its impact on citizens’ lives, stating, “Ultimately, the true measure of devolution is not in the structures we establish, but in the lives we transform and the opportunities we create for our people.”
