Aasai

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has raised fears about the prevalence of corruption and poor accountability systems in some counties, warning that these challenges are slowly undermining the success of devolution and threatening the publics trust in county governments. Speaking on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, during the devolution conference in Homa Bay County, Kingi expressed his deep concern due to the failure of some governors to respect invitations to appear before Senate committees to respond to public funds under their supervision. 

"Corruption and weak accountability systems in some counties continue to threaten and remove public trust in devolution," Kingi said. "Sadly, the failure of some governors to honor Senate invitations to come and account for resources put into their hands not only damages good working relationships within the devolved family, but also undermines the development of accountability." He cited an example where Senate committees encountered open hostility during county visits, calling such behavior deplorable and damaging to the spirit of corporate leadership.

 "Lets not allow short-term political interests to blunt the long-term vision of development. The greatness of the nation is not in the ornament of its capital and in the center of cities, but in the honor of its villages." Kingi praised the role of the Senate in strengthening the devolution system in the last decade, pointing to important legal measures and budget allocations that have enabled county governments to work more efficiently.

 "There is no doubt that without the Senate, devolution would be a shell. For the Senate, devolution has become a shield for the expectations of many Kenyans," he said. The Senate, he noted, has allocated a total of nearly Ksh4 trillion to the county through the Revenue Distribution and Revenue Supply Acts County. "Based on its authority, the Senate has recorded significant events.

 We have allocated about 4 trillion shillings to the county, strengthened management through standing committees, and passed important laws such as the County Public Finance Amendment Act, which guarantees financial independence to county assemblies," Kingi said. He also praised the recent passage of the Fourth Revenue Sharing System for the 2025-2030 period, praising senators for their unity and teamwork.

 "A good example is the collective effort and spirit of the team that was involved in the debate and adoption of the Fourth Revenue Sharing System. This was a deep divide from the past when such drills were full of hate and political differences," he said. Despite these measures, Kingi warned that several ongoing issues continue to hamper the fulfillment of the dream of devolution. 

Among them are duplication of responsibilities between national and county governments, weak collection of private source revenue, disputes within county assemblies, and delays in the allocation of county funds. “Our case is mainly Meru County, where sometimes we had two county assemblies, two clerks and two speakers,” noted.

 He also criticized the politicization of development priorities at the county level, saying such actions often ignore the real needs of local communities.“To get the next decade of devolution, we must take decisive and collective action today,” Kingi urged.“Decentralization is never intended; it is a continuous journey, requiring attention, courage, and dedication.”