Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged county governments to align their development programs with national government priorities to ensure a unified approach to economic growth and service delivery.
Speaking during the opening of the 28th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) at his official residence in Karen, Kindiki emphasized that the economy must be treated as an integrated system rather than segmented interests of counties and the national government.
“We must look at the economy as an integrated whole. Therefore, the priority issues that we are implementing should not be different between the national and county governments,” he said.
The DP outlined key areas requiring joint focus, including maintaining macro-economic stability, advancing value-chain reforms in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, and developing infrastructure to support these sectors. He also stressed the importance of job creation, improved healthcare, and quality education as consistent pillars across both levels of government.
Kindiki further addressed the challenge of pending bills, urging an innovative approach to conclusively resolve the issue. He highlighted the Kenya Kwanza administration’s bold steps in implementing Taifa Care, a publicly funded universal healthcare program that has proven difficult for many countries to sustain.
“Many countries have tried and abandoned providing publicly funded universal health systems. Kenya has taken a bold step,” he noted.
On devolution, Kindiki hailed it as a central promise of the Constitution, underscoring its role in bringing services closer to the people, enhancing public participation, and dispersing power.
“Devolution is about moving the country from one centre of growth in Nairobi to creating 47 centres of growth, simultaneously spurring the renewal of our country,” he said.
Monday’s IBEC meeting marked the fourth chaired by Kindiki since assuming office, reinforcing the government’s push for stronger intergovernmental collaboration to accelerate development and reduce duplication of projects.
