Speaking notes for the Prime Minister at the International Symposium on Devolution at KICC on 7th June 2011
· The full and timely implementation of the new Constitution is the most important task facing the Grand Coalition Government today. Time is not on our side, and obstacles are abound. Not everyone is fully and firmly committed to this task. But failure is not an option.
· If our new constitution is revolutionary as it has been described, and I fully agree it is, one of the provisions that make it revolutionary is the coming of Devolved governments.
· Kenyans are agreed that close to half a century of running a rigidly centralized system, has brought little good but more inequality between regions and among communities.
· We are agreed that long-term economic growth and development will only come when everyone is actively involved in the process of development. So Kenyans eagerly await the arrival of county governments. They believe that Devolution of power and resources will make their voices be heard and their input appreciated in matters that affect them.
· I therefore welcome this symposium. It offers an opportunity for the Task Force on the Devolved Government to share its findings with all key stakeholders, for the international experts to share with us their wisdom drawn from international best practices, and for all the participants to contribute to further improving the report of the Task Force. This is indeed the spirit of participatory democracy which our Constitution espouses.
· The report of the Task Force is comprehensive and balanced. But it remains work in progress. It lays out a road map to guide us towards the county government. As expected, it indicates that the number of policy papers that need to be prepared, and the number of legislation that need to be drafted, are enormous. But we should not be intimidated.
· The task of this symposium is therefore to come up with more definitive positions on some of the key issues that the Task Force has left for further deliberations. We can then move on to implementation immediately.
· We need very honest debate on the crucial issue of the restructuring of the Provincial Administration, for instance.
· The report offers three options: (i) that the national administration (the Provincial Administration) to exist side-by-side with the County administration; (ii) that the national administration but the chief will be part of the County government; and (iii) that the national government be represented in County government only by technical officers. The report then recommends establishing another Task Force to deliberate on these options. In my view, the issues are clear enough. There is no need for or time to set up another task force.
· Similarly, on the all important issue of building an effective and capable public service, the report conclude that the existing human resource management policy framework, statutes and practices, and the attendant challenges will need to be addressed. This conclusion is correct but the issue is how best to address them most expeditiously. This symposium can help move the process forward by giving an answer to this question.
· Our studies can never be perfect. Even if it is imperfect, I suggest that we move to implementation as much as possible. In some instances, we learn as we gain experience by trying it out. The use of pilot is well accepted in many areas for this reason.
· I have no doubt that the framers of the Constitution had many good reasons when they gave tight deadlines, which of course pose major challenges in implementation. But we have made a good start as evident in the report of this Task Force. We must now hasten the speed of delivery.
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