A case of Devolution; Gains, Gaps and the Future of County Governance in Kenya

The Constitution of Kenya (2010) established a devolved system of governance aimed at bringing services closer to the people, enhancing public participation, and addressing historical inequalities. Since the rollout of county governments in 2013, Kenya has made notable progress in decentralizing public administration, particularly in the sectors of health, infrastructure, agriculture, and development planning. Despite these gains especially in expanding access to services in rural areas and promoting political inclusivity significant structural contradictions persist. These include overlapping functions between the national and county governments, continued central control over key resources, and the operation of parallel development mechanisms such as the National Government Constituencies Development Fund. This paper examines four core sectors health, roads, agriculture, and development financing and proposes reforms aimed at aligning governance practices with the letter and spirit of devolution.