EDITORIAL: Governors must work from their counties

Reports that most governors have shifted base from counties to Nairobi raises pertinent questions about governance, prudent financial management, representation and service delivery.

Nairobi is the capital city, hence controls national resources and originates policies, but that does not mean it is where governors should work from.

Governors have no reason to spend most of their time in the city yet their work is at the counties.

Incredibly, according to the report we published at the weekend, governors argue that they have so many engagements in the city that it is imperative for them to visit frequently and conduct their business from there.

They cited attending Council of Governors (CoG) meetings and follow-ups for financial disbursements, among other engagements. But that does not make sense. CoG meetings are not ad hoc; neither do they take place every day.

The most ridiculous argument, however, is that they have to visit offices of the Controller of Budget to push for funds.

Financial management was automated a long time ago and when there are hitches, which we note are quite common, it is not the business of governors to visit the Controller of Budget for solutions.

Governors operating from Nairobi undermines devolution, whose objective is to disperse power, representation and service delivery to the counties.

Devolution sets out to create other centres of power and stimulate developments at the grassroots.

Being the custodians of county resources, governors represent members of the counties, to whom they are accountable.

Their counties’ residents expect services and leadership from them. They want their governor to engage with them in tackling day-to-day challenges the county faces and be accessible and responsive to their concerns and needs, not to shift base and relate with them only through the telephone or aides.

Relocating county operations to the capital city is quite expensive. As we reported, some governors put up in high-end hotels, from where they conduct even county meetings.

Their aides are accommodated and compensated for working out of station and, in worse scenarios, other county officials have to fly in and out of Nairobi to get various approvals from the chiefs.

Paradoxically, the governors have put up multi-million-shilling residences at the counties or have block bookings for hotel accommodation there.

This is sheer waste of public resources and quite upsetting, considering the numerous needs at the counties.

Not to mention that it is the governors who are vocal in complaining about inadequate funding from the National Treasury. We demand that governors stop this practice. Let them operate from their counties.