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By James Onsinyo
The Kenya Devolution Civil Society Organizations Working Group (KDCWG) has called for immediate action to address the growing issue of “budgeted corruption” and urged the government to expedite the transfer of devolved functions to county governments.
The statement comes amid rising concerns over Kenya’s greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to inadequate measures against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The KDCWG argues that these deficiencies reflect broader systemic corruption issues within both national and county governments, which continue to stifle Kenya’s social and economic development. The working group highlighted that “budgeted corruption,” a practice where public funds intended for service delivery are siphoned off through inflated contracts and ghost projects, is severely impacting essential services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.
The KDCWG emphasized that the consequences of this corruption are evident in deteriorating roads, lack of medical supplies, and poorly equipped schools. In addition to fighting corruption, the KDCWG reiterated the urgent need for the national government to honor past commitments to transfer key functions, such as healthcare and road construction, to the county governments.
The group expressed concerns that the government has yet to fulfill promises made by President William Ruto in 2022 and 2023 to complete this process within the next 30 days. The KDCWG insists that these functions must be fully transferred with the necessary financial resources for counties to effectively deliver on their constitutional mandates.
Furthermore, the KDCWG called for an end to the ongoing duplication of responsibilities between the national and county governments.
The group urged the national government to cease involvement in functions that have already been devolved, such as rural road construction and primary healthcare, to avoid inefficiency and ensure effective service delivery at the county level.
“The National Treasury must ensure the timely disbursement of funds as stipulated in the Public Finance Management Act to avoid disruption of essential services,” said the KDCWG in its statement.
The group also emphasized the importance of expediting the approval of audited accounts to inform the revenue allocation process.
The KDCWG’s advocacy extends to a broader call for accountability and transparency in the use of public resources. It called for the enforcement of strict penalties for non-compliance with budget implementation and transparency standards, particularly regarding the timely publication of reports on public fund usage.
The organization has also demanded an end to selective investigations and prosecutions by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other oversight bodies. It recommended granting the EACC prosecutorial powers to ensure impartiality and expedite corruption cases across the political spectrum.
The group also urged the full implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations to strengthen accountability.
In light of Kenya’s ongoing fiscal challenges, the KDCWG called for the abolition of unconstitutional funds like the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), urging that such resources be redirected to county governments to bolster service delivery.
Additionally, the KDCWG expressed deep concerns about the shrinking civic space in Kenya. Reports of intimidation and harassment of citizens and civil society organizations critical of government corruption are alarming.
The group called for immediate action to protect citizens’ right to dissent and ensure that those responsible for silencing opposition through coercion or violence are held accountable.
“Civic freedoms must be protected to ensure that the government remains transparent and accountable to its people,” the group said. In conclusion, the KDCWG reiterated its commitment to fighting corruption and advocating for a more efficient and accountable system of governance.
It called on both national and county governments to work collaboratively to strengthen the foundations of devolution and ensure that resources are allocated and spent in a way that benefits all Kenyans.