Press Release

Achieving Effective Devolution, Transformed Civil Service and Security of the people
Nairobi, January 20, 2014/..As the County governments start the process of drafting and
enacting various sound sectoral enabling pieces of legislation and policies, the International
Center for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) would like to state that the success of various sectoral
laws and policies will be determined by implementing an effective devolved governance and
development policy framework.
The Senate will have to play a key role in the implementation of this framework by
facilitating enactment of new national sound integrated democratic devolved system of
sustainable development and governance policy framework consistent with the
Constitutional principles and new Constitutional development policy shift. It is critical for
the County governments as they start to settle and gain ground to understand that the
normative constitutional foundation basis is strong.
In order to achieve effective devolved governance, delivery of quality services consistence
with the Constitution is paramount. The Public Service Commission (PSC), a constitutional
body mandated with the transformation of public service should together with the County
Service Board create a highly skilled, professional and accountable civil service and overhaul
the work ethics and culture within. The PSC and County Public Service have the appropriate
constitutional and institutional independence amplitude to execute their roles.
This civil service should be capable of running operations and delivering large-scale changes
to service delivery to match the global competition. It should competently support the well-
being and prosperity of the country and turn development vector from narrow base
consumption-oriented economy to a broad well ground knowledge investment-oriented
economy.
Security on the other hand is very vital for the stability of a country. The Constitution of
Kenya 2010 enshrined drastic principles and provisions to transform and build a democratic
policing and law enforcement system. While the national government takes on the
responsibility and duty on broad national security policy, the county government on the
other hand is tasked with the responsibility of guaranteeing residents security in their
respective jurisdictions through the County Policing Authority.
The ICPC notes that while the Inspector General of Police retains the overall command and
operational direction and National Police Service Commission deals with human resource
management and oversight function of National Police Service, the county policing and law
enforcement model must be adopted with County governments playing pivotal role in
supervising/oversight police service at their respective jurisdictions.
Effective County-based security and law enforcement is critical for three main reasons. First,
it is consistent with devolved governance and is the new corporate strategy for the modern
police and law enforcement. This replaces the strategy of maintaining regime policing at
whatever cost. Second, County policing is about security of the people. It is an instrument of
change for the new police service with emphasis on human security and specific security
needs of the local communities. Finally, county policing is a method of providing proactive
policing and law enforcement informed by local distinct conditions.
Therefore, for Kenya to have an effective devolved governance and transformed civil service
and security, both the county and national government should consolidate certain
processes, organs and institutions removing duplication for greater economies of scale. The
county public and private actors must also work together in creating, expanding and
growing sustainable county economy.
Signed by,
Ndungu Wainaina
Executive Director