ODM leader Raila Odinga has waded into the ongoing debate on the roles of elected leaders, insisting that Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) should be the ones tasked with oversighting governors, not the Senate.
Speaking during a joint parliamentary group meeting between ODM and UDA legislators, the former Prime Minister faulted Senators for repeatedly summoning governors to respond to questions that, in his view, fall outside their mandate.
“Oversighting governors is the responsibility of MCAs, not the Senate. Senators are wasting governors’ time, calling them to answer questions about roads, some of which are national government projects,” Raila said.
He argued that Senate’s primary role should revolve around safeguarding devolution, resource allocation, and addressing county-level policy issues, while accountability for county executives should strictly rest with MCAs.
Raila also reiterated his long-held position that Members of Parliament (MPs) should not be directly involved in implementing development projects. Instead, he maintained that MPs should focus on legislation and oversight.
“Constituency is not an element of devolution. Devolution remains at the county. At the constituency level, it is the county government that implements projects, while the national government is responsible for national programmes,” Raila explained.
He criticized the trend where MPs engage in constructing schools and roads, noting that such involvement creates a conflict of interest, as there is no independent mechanism to hold them accountable.
“If MPs are implementing projects, then who will oversight them? MPs should have nothing to do with development. That role belongs to counties,” he stated.
Raila further called for more funds to be channelled directly to county governments to strengthen devolution. He argued that development is better realized when resources are allocated at the local level, where residents’ needs are better understood.
While acknowledging that his views may not sit well with legislators, Raila insisted that clear separation of roles is necessary to reduce duplication, enhance accountability, and ensure that devolution delivers on its promise of bringing services closer to the people.
