The Kenya Kwanza administration should respect the mandate of counties and transfer all devolved functions, Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has said.
The DG called on the national government to ensure that counties take over functions that were devolved but are currently not under the armpit of devolved units.
Mwangangi said that some of the functions that are devolved but now under the national government are allocated more resources than even the equitable share of counties.
The functions he said are mainly domiciled in the giant ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Roads and Transport.
Recently, the government gazetted additional functions that President Ruto said will be handed over to counties from the next financial year beginning July after years of standoff with evolved units.
Mwangangi said the national government should only deal with policy issues on specialised departments that have been devolved to help the functioning of counties in line with the national government agenda.
The DP said that despite promises by the national government to ensure that resources follow the functions of counties, the same has become an empty promise.
"Since the last election we have sat several times sometimes meetings chaired by the president or his deputy, and we have been getting promises but nothing comes forth,'' Mwangngi said.
Speaking during a morning talk show with Spice FM, Mwangangi called on the national government to respect devolution and allow more resources to counties to fund devolved functions.
"It is the responsibility of the national government to transfer functions and resources, but they don't do that,'' Mwangangi said.
The DG said some of the leaders in the national government are acting contrary to the dictates of the constitution because they are not listening to the "ground".
"In my considered view, they're not listening to the people they lead,'' Mwangangi said arguing that there is a misunderstanding between the state and citizens.
"The state of affairs is that we have economic hardship which is affecting everybody but we need a conversation around that so that we understand as a country why we are doing what we are doing."
The DG wondered that most of the decisions being made by the national leaders have become unpopular, their benefits notwithstanding because citizens feel neglected.
"Most Kenyans believe that national leaders are only concerned with power, they feel that public participation is mere trojan horse for state interests and not about listening to the people,'' he said.
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