DEVOLUTION AT RISK: CSOs CONDEMN CULTURE OF IMPUNITY, APPLAUD JUDICIARY, CALL FOR DIGITAL PROCUREMENT REFORMS AND AUTHENTIC PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

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Members of the Kenya Devolution Civil Society Working Group address the press raising alarm over corruption in counties and calling for judicial accountability, transparent e-procurement, and genuine public participation.
(Photo credits)

By: Glad Tv Kenya reporter 

Kenya’s devolution project is being hollowed out by corruption, weak oversight, and tokenistic governance, a coalition of civil society groups has warned, accusing state institutions of betraying the promise of the 2010 Constitution.

The Kenya Devolution Civil Society Working Group (KD-CSO WG) said on Tuesday that county governments are “collapsing under the weight of impunity,” with citizens left to endure failing health services, stalled projects, and persistent water shortages despite billions of shillings in devolved funds.

At the centre of the crisis, they claimed, is the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which they accused of repeatedly failing to pursue high-profile graft cases tied to counties.

“When theft of public resources goes unpunished, corruption becomes normalized and ill-gotten wealth is glorified. This is the reality Kenyans are being forced to live with,” the group declared.

The coalition balanced its criticism with praise for the judiciary, singling out two rulings it described as defining moments for devolution. One ruling, which held governors directly liable for procurement malpractice, was hailed as a breakthrough in personal accountability for county executives. Another, which declared the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) unconstitutional, was described as a safeguard for fiscal federalism.

“These judgments have reinforced that no leader is above the law and that resources must flow through proper devolved structures,” the statement read.

With counties spending more than 70% of their budgets through procurement, KD-CSO WG warned that the current manual systems are a “gateway for leakage of funds.”

“If procurement remains opaque, then devolution will never deliver for Kenyans,” they said, adding that they are ready to partner with the National Treasury and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority to design and implement the system.

The group also slammed county governments for reducing public participation to a “rubberstamping ritual” that locks citizens out of meaningful decision-making.

“Public participation has been reduced to a formality. Citizens are invited to meetings only to endorse decisions already made, leaving them powerless and disregarded,” they said.

They urged Parliament to fast-track the Public Participation Bill, 2025, which proposes minimum standards for citizen engagement and guarantees community influence from planning to implementation of projects.

KD-CSO WG outlined four immediate demands: that the ODPP fast-tracks all pending county corruption cases and explains dropped charges; that governors personally uphold procurement integrity in line with the High Court ruling; that the national government respects the NG-CDF ruling and transfers resources to counties; and that a transparent E-Procurement system with civil society oversight be rolled out.

“Devolution is being betrayed by empty promises and weak accountability. The time for excuses is over—Kenyans deserve better,” KD-CSO WG concluded.


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