These facts always get me all riled up make me wonder what this devolution is all about. I am talking about its long term effects. Is it sustainable?
Look at these simple facts and then realize that we Kenyans totally got our priorities lopsided. India has an area of 3.28 million square kilometers while Kenya is only 0.584 million square kilometers. India has a whooping population of 1.24 billion whereas Kenya is a dwarf demographically with a mere 42 million. The eligible voters in India are a massive 812 million compared to Kenya’s 14 million. India’s land mass is 6 times bigger than Kenya’s. India’s population is almost 30 times more than the Kenyan population. The voters in India can vote in Kenya’s general elections 58 times without anyone voting twice. Now here comes the shocker. India has only 790 members in its national assembly while Kenya has 416.
China has 33 provinces/ state governments yet it is so massive. Australia, an economic powerhouse, has only 7 states, as big as it is. USA, with its 52 is also very very big.I don’t know what justifications can relieve us from the apparent shortcomings.
The work of the Committee of experts was vastly consultative and political. Most of its work was travelling the country to gather people’s feelings, suggestions and positions on matters. Their mandate was not to produce a document that would work but rather to produce one that would pass. Practically, we as Kenyans created the constitution and the committee midwifed it. There are parts of it that are excellent particularly the Bill of rights.
On the counties, there was a clamour for devolution. There was a strong ethnic flavour to it and every community that was not the sitting President’s seemed to imply that if they didn’t feel adequately autonomous, they wouldn’t pass the document. Not that this hypothesis is based on some insider advantage. Anyone following the process could surmise the same. In the end the 47 counties was a result of horse trading, internal and external bickering and influence peddling. As is the case of most political decisions. To that extent it wasn’t so much a “decision” that would foster and accelerate development but rather a record of acceptable compromise.
The administrative units of India, China etc reflect their political realities and ours reflect the political realities of that time. Also the affordability of our administrative units is affected as much by the efficiency, frugality and transparency of their government.
It is my opinion that the sustenance of all these counties is untenable and the way it is structured reminds me of an inverted pyramid.
I know for a fact that many young, new generational leaders know what I have stated is a fact. The reality is they’ve also fallen prey to the availability of political seats up for grabs.A striking reminder of the oft referred novel by George Orwell, Animal Farm. In the beginning, the animals had the same goal, but the hunger for power and all that cometh with it soon broke up their oness and at the end the liberators soon aligned themselves with the old guard.
I wouldn’t blame them. I’d probably do the same. In fact I fully support them. Why pretend to advocate for a better system yet you are hungry. The counties bring plenty of job opportunities which weren’t there. Make hay while the sun shines, after all one can only live for so long.
Blessed are the children as they shall inherit the national debt . If per capita is a problem, de capita can be arranged. My great country, Kenya, seems to have run in a great circle and met itself again on the starting line, albeit to start another run in an even more bigger circle. And so the debacle continues…