-Waiguru, the governor of Kirinyaga county, has issued fresh demands to the government of Deputy President William Ruto – demanding more financial autonomy for local governments. In a statement released to the media, Waiguru said: “It is unacceptable for the government at the Centre to dictate how local government is run and undermine local autonomy. We are asking the Central government to grant local government more financial resources and decision-making powers to ensure that local governments achieve the vision of devolution as promised in the Constitution.” She added: “We want to see tangible progress in the implementation of devolution, such as counties being allocated more resources and given access to decision-making processes and procedures.” Waiguru’s demands come as the debate on devolution in Kenya intensifies and tensions between the Central government and local governments remain high. It is unclear how the government will respond to her demands, but both sides must agree to work together if Kenya is to achieve the devolution goals outlined in the Constitution.
