Kenya’s county governments have been urged to strengthen governance and curb corruption as they assume control of more devolved functions and billions worth of immovable assets.
Speaking during the official opening of the 9th Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County, President William Ruto announced the successful transfer of land and buildings to counties, ending a 12-year delay.
“We have gazetted Immovable Assets, that is, land and buildings, to transfer ownership to the counties through Gazette Notice No. 11164 of 12/08/2025,” Ruto said. “All 14 devolved functions have been conclusively delineated, bundled, and formally gazetted, eliminating decades-old ambiguities that hampered service delivery and fueled intergovernmental disputes.”
The Gazette Notice grants counties legal control over 50,000 parcels of land and 80,000 buildings, marking a significant milestone in Kenya’s devolution journey.
Council of Governors Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi hailed the development as a true embodiment of the bottom-up transformation model, while urging counties to uphold transparency and efficiency in managing the newly acquired resources.
Concerns over corruption remain high, with governance setbacks often linked to waste and mismanagement of county resources. In response, counties are ramping up efforts to automate services, particularly revenue collection.
Council of Governors Vice-Chair and Nyeri Governor Dr. Mutahi Kahiga noted a record in county revenue performance, with collections reaching Ksh 58.95 billion in the 2023/24 financial year 72.2 percent of the target and the highest in 11 years. Ten counties surpassed their Own Source Revenue (OSR) targets.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga praised devolution for its role in improving living standards, enhancing service delivery, and promoting social justice.
“Our task is to make devolution work for all Kenyans delivering equity, inclusion, and social justice, and closing the socio-economic divide,” Wanga stated.
The 9th Devolution Conference, themed For the People, For Prosperity: Devolution as a Catalyst for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, has attracted at least 10,000 delegates, underscoring its significance as a platform for shaping the future of devolved governance in Kenya.
