OPINION: Governor Orengo: Pioneering a unique governance model for the future

At a time when the global economy has been reeling in the past year, 2023, due to various factors such as the high interest rates, increased energy prices, extreme weather disruptions and immense effects from the ravages of war in Europe and the Middle East, a series of leading banks still predict a worsening global financial outlook in the year 2024.

Needless to say, global economic shocks, geopolitical risks and wars around the world will continue to put pressure on our local economy as a country.

It is such turbulent times and seasons of a nation’s growth that sober leadership and governance are indispensable to avoid the inevitable consequences of the imminent economic slumps, which may include job losses and livelihoods, poor government service delivery, contracted economic output and even deaths.

Both the national and county governments need to stay alive to these conditions and proactively act and lead in such a way that will cushion the population from the worst effects of the economic fluctuations.

It is on this basis that a review of key independent reports like the County Budget Implementation Review Report (CBIRR) could help better find a proper bearing to bridge future governance needs.

Continuous missteps in the allocation and management of public resources in difficult times will more likely plunge the country into deeper economic misery than its peers, from which it may take a long period to recover.

In late December 2023, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) in its governance and human rights report, highlighted a worsening state of the nation exacerbated by a deepening culture of impunity and an increasing disregard for the rule of law.

Among the indicators they pointed out causing the worsening state of the nation were odious debt, corruption, state and corporate capture weakening independent institutions and appointment of criminal elements to public offices.

While this is well-focused on a national level, the recent county government budget implementation review report by the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCoB) gives insight into the fact that the county government share similar challenges.

It is the prudent management of the limited public resources in meeting the needs of the people that will give credence to the effectiveness of governance and forge the future’s successful implementation of policies and critical programs.

According to the report from the Controller of Budget on the County budget implementation for the first quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year, the revenue and expenditure performance analysis reveals that the majority of the counties are far from optimally allocating available funds to the causes that would most impact the people in the long term – development expenditure.

The administrative costs of running county offices took prominence in most of the counties, depicting a possible lapse in the priorities that ought to occupy the minds of the county chiefs.

In total, the counties incurred Ksh.41.79 billion (69 per cent of the total fund's allocation) to meet personal emoluments, Ksh.18.76 billion (27.8 per cent) on operations and maintenance, and Ksh.6.92 billion (10.3 per cent) on development expenditure.

The fascinating fact from the report is that the analysis of development expenditure shows that ten counties did not report any expenditure on development programs during the period under review.

Among these counties are Embu, Homa Bay, Kericho, Kilifi, Machakos, Nairobi City, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot.

Should this remain a trend in the subsequent quarters, development will stall in the counties and the people become heavily deprived of the much-needed impetus to thrive economically.

When little to no amount is appropriately expended in development, the population is denied that key aspect for which they wholly depend on the county governments to do for them.

While Kenyans at the grassroots level greatly anticipated improved infrastructure, healthcare, and education, a good number of county bosses allocated exorbitant sums towards opulent furnishings and unnecessary amenities and luxuries for their offices.

It is such reports that excite the most rage and frustration from a population whose fortunes are slipping off their fingers with the tightening economic situations here at home and abroad.

Nonetheless, the report sheds a gleam of hope on the horizon if the optimistic reports of a few county chiefs’ performance over the period are anything to go by.

Whereas some counties spent up to 20% of their budget to run their offices, some governors spent less than 2% of their budgets for the same expense.

Prominent among them is the Siaya county which only incurred 1.8% of its budget to run offices. In recent months, the governor of Siaya County has appeared to chart a refreshing governance trajectory which, if maintained and well-embraced, could transform the livelihoods of the population there.

By and large, there is a shift in the county’s leadership to prioritize the immediate pressing needs of the people thus informing the decisions made in the allocation of the available county funds.

The Siaya county boss is entrenching accountability and transparency into his governance style, seeing to it that the team under him serves the people suitably.

Mapping out the immediate needs of the people is key in ensuring that the county governments initiate programs that will spur the most growth and development.

In his State of the County address to the county assembly at the end of the year 2023, Mr Orengo pointed out the various efforts made thus far in the segments such as water and sanitation, healthcare, trade, enterprise and industrial development, education and youth affairs, tourism and culture as well as lands and physical planning.

Based on the county's needs, addressing these facets of the county economy would certainly yield results that will transform lives in the region.

Worth noting, from the CoB report, that Siaya County not only minimized the costs incurred on personal emoluments but an analysis of expenditure by departments indicated that the Department of Enterprise and Industrial Development recorded the highest absorption rate of development budget at 7.6 per cent.

It was then followed by Tourism and Culture at 5.5 per cent. In the changing times which are plunging the population into penury by day, a governance model geared towards inculcating an all-round approach to meet the local needs would be a tool for good.

Notable among other such causes, the county has expanded its road network and maintained up nearly 450km, supplied essential life-saving commodities and equipment to its hospital network, constructed modern markets in areas like West Asembo and Boro, installed nearly 100 high-mast floodlights and supported irrigation to farmers by providing water pans.

Good governance should be able to ensure proper management of public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a way that is free of corruption and abuse.

The Siaya boss is among the few county leaders who have attempted to embody this in his leadership, an aspect which should be emulated across the board.

An amicable working relationship with the rest of the county leadership, namely the Members of the County (MCA) is key to achieving growth and meeting the development agendas in an accountable manner.

It is late in the day for the national government and the county governments to be focused on non-essential expenditure in light of the economic pressures facing the people.

Let formulated policies be implemented with the support of the right expertise and be free of corruption or political nuances and we shall begin to experience growth and development that will beat the global economic shocks of our time.

The writer is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. Email: dboi@iasr.co.ke