Local Government

The local government ministry says it is seeking ways to merge weaker local authorities with those that are economically viable.

The number of councils has been swelling over the years due to the creation of new districts hence over stretching local authorities' resources.

Addressing the press in his office Monday after holding a brief meeting with British High Commissioner to Kenya Rob Macaire, deputy prime minister and minister for local government Musalia Mudavadi said he was consulting with the interim independent boundary review commission to ensure that the newly created districts remain under existing local authorities.

"The ministry will discuss seriously with the boundaries commission about the amalgamation to rationalize the units in a manner that will improve service delivery for the benefit of the citizens," he said.

Mudavadi said some councils were unable to discharge their mandate effectively and having them would be a waste of resources adding that the ministry was undertaking reforms aimed at rooting out corruption in local authorities countrywide.


Mudavadi said that the ministry was working towards amalgamating some of the country's 175 local authorities to improve service delivery and save the taxpayer from unnecessary costs.

The minister said the ministry had already worked out proposals calling for reforms in the local authorities which have been submitted to the cabinet awaiting approval.

He said such reforms would come with stringent provisions on the management of local authority finances.

"We are now getting to a stage where local authorities will be a subject of the national audit office and they will be exposed to more thorough and frequent inspections by the Auditor General," he added.


Meanwhile, Mudavadi says the ministry is in the process of reviewing Cap 265 of the Local Authorities Act to bring reforms to the running of council affairs that would affect the electioneering process and have more stringent provisions for finance management.

"We want direct election of civic leaders and we therefore have to develop a system that is transparent and most effective in electing our future leaders," he said.

The UK envoy supported the reforms saying they would benefit the country especially as the citizens look forward to a new constitution which he noted must ensure devolution of resources in the country.

Elsewhere, the Ministry of Labour and Resource Management is looking into the acute shortage of staffing.

Labour and resource management PS, Beatrice Kituyi, says the ministry is in consultation with the ministry of finance for funding to hire field staff to serve the increasing labour market.

Kituyi told employers to ensure that they observed labour laws for the smooth operation of their workers.

She made the remarks in Nandi Hills when she joined a team from the ministry on a fact finding mission of tea estates and factories in Kericho and Nandi East districts.