Embu clerk urges residents to give county governments time to work

Embu County Assembly Clerk Jim Kauma

Uraia Trust’s Executive Director Grace Maingi 

The public and the state departments oversighting counties have been challenged to give the 47 devolved units time to perform their core development functions before criticising them.

Speaking at his office after receiving a team of Civil Educators from Uraia Trust,the Embu County Assembly Clerk Jim Kauma, the electorate was exhibiting too much negative energy, consequently disorienting the elected Ward Representatives. He said attacking an MCA allegedly due to non-performance barely six months after elections was rush and unfair.

He cautioned that Kenyans might experience a high turnover of leaders because some gave up on pursuing development projects due to unnecessary pressure from the electorate.Kauma said exercising patience over the leaders’ elective term, then giving credit where it is deserved would prove more beneficial in the long run than overwhelming politicians with “humanly impossible” demands.

The Clerk at the same time petitioned the office of the Office of the Auditor General to outline the gains achieved by County Executives and Assemblies when compiling Audit Reports. He said comparing six-year-old Devolved Governments with the 55-year-old National Government was illogical

According toKauma, Civil Societies also ought not just to condemn County Governments whenever there was an accountability problem, but also take a lead role in offering solutions to solve the hiccup and prevent future reoccurrence. He reiterated the commitment by County Governments to deliver meaningful development to the people, but said they need ample time and peace to perform.

However, Uraia Trust’s Executive Director Grace Maingi faulted MCAs for making false promises to earn easy votes. She emphasised on the need for leaders to be sincere and tell the people what is implementable and what is impossible to do so as to avoid being blamed by the electorate for functions that were not devolved.

She said Uraia Trust would be collaborating with selected County Assemblies to conduct joint public participation and civic education forums to ensure that the roles of devolved governments and proposed county legislations are properly understood by the Embu County citizenry at the grassroots.

The duo concurred that there was a huge knowledge gap that has prevented the public from understanding the roles of the Executive and Legislative arms of County Governments, but pledged to join hands in spearheading systematic capacity building sessions for organised groups to educate the public on devolution.

The two appreciated the attempt by the public to ask hard questions and observed that with proper civic education, Kenyans would be competent enough to demand accountability and keep their leaders in check.

Uraia Trust’s Civic Educators from Manyatta, Runyenjes, Mbeere North and South also accompanied the Executive Director in a bid to establish a link to the Mwananchi through the County Assembly.

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