IGRTC Provides Platform to Enhance Devolution
County secretaries the engine behind the success of devolution at county level.
Successful implementation of devolved government is at the core of Kenya’s quest for development and at the heart of Kenya’s progressive socio-economic transformation. The IGRTC seeks to provide a platform for an enabling environment and institutional cooperation for the country as a whole to reap devolution dividends.
In line with the Intergovernmental Relations Act of 2012, IGRTC is required to convene a meeting of the forty-seven County Secretaries within thirty days preceding every Summit meeting. Today, IGRTC begun a two-day meeting with County Secretaries as a statutory meeting to deliberate on the proposed Summit Agenda and review progress on intergovernmental matters affecting service delivery.
In his opening Remarks, IGRTC chair Kithinji Kiragu underscored the vital role that county Secretaries play in steering counties towards service delivery. He called on them to walk with IGRTC as we seek to better delivery by both levels of Government to citizens. He said IGRTC Is currently carrying a study on the status of Devolution and intergovernmental relations and that the forum was key to provide inputs to the proposed Summit Agenda.
The 6th County Secretary Meeting at Kenya School of Government brings together all county Secretaries to bond, share knowledge and give reports on Transition. This is in compliance and the spirt of the IGR Act, 2012. They will also elect the forum’s leadership hand in problem solving, appreciate their interface role and linkages they play in. respective counties.
The chairman says the county secretaries are Key to implantation of devolution and already there are gains that we must appreciate as a country as we try to fix the failures. 10 years down we must say there are functioning county government that are discharging services to our citizens from the global perspective this remains our success story and also calls for the strengthening of the intergovernmental relationships that will go a long way in enhancing devolution.
Liverson Mghendi County Secretary Taita Taveta County hailed the Intergovernmental technical committee for addressing the intergovernmental conflicts that have been seen as a threat to devolution saying Taita Taveta county is one of the entity that has registered a dispute that is being handled by the committee and believes that once solved will enable the two government to work together in harmony but not as competing entities.
Amy Ruria County secretary Embu county says the forum is also a benchmarking exercise for the new county secretaries who have were appointed recently as the engine behind the running of county activities it’s important to for them to understand the relationship between the county and national government as they prepare for the net summit meeting agenda.
The forum was attended by County Secretaries, IGRTC Members led by Chair Kithinji Kiragu, John Burugu, Saadia Kontoma, Linet Mavu, John Kimwela, Alice Mayaka & Wilson Pere, SRC, IGRTC Technical Staff led by CEO Agnes Ndwiga, partners including CPF and Jambo Pay.
