MPs told to expedite devolution laws

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Local Government PS, Karega Mutahi. Photo/SULEIMAN MBATIAH  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By REBECCA OKWANY rokwany@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, August 20  2012 at  16:25

IN SUMMARY

• Delays in the enactment of the laws creating anxiety and confusion among civil servants
• Act would also provide for further decentralisation of service delivery in both urban and rural counties

Parliament has been asked to pass Bills on devolution before end of the year to enable smooth transition of civil servants to county governments.

Local Government Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi said that delays in the enactment of the laws was creating anxiety and confusion among civil servants. Read (Parliament dissolution looms as MPs miss deadline)

He said that public servants were anxiously waiting for the legislation of County Government Act 2012 to see how it will affect them.

“The County Government Act 2012 is very important to us because it will directly impact on the local authorities as they are now,” he said during induction of members of the Transition Authority in Mombasa.

He added that the Act would also provide for further decentralisation of service delivery in both urban and rural counties.

Prof Mutahi pointed out that so far only three out of six Bills had been enacted into law.

They include Urban Areas and Cities Act, Transition to Devolved Government Act 2012 and Intergovernmental Relations Act 2012.

Chairman of the Transition Authority Kinuthia Wa Mwangi said that they would conduct sensitisation workshops to counter negative attitudes among civil servants on the planned transition.

“There are those people who will be transferred together with their functions to counties and we will explain to them why. Some people may think that going to the counties is a demotion,” he said.

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He urged the workers to see the transition as a new opportunity to redefine their careers.

He told servants that there would be attractive salary packages for them after the authority finalises its plans with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

UNDP Resident Representative Aneas Chuma urged civil servants to use the independence of the county governments to perform their duties objectively.