KISUMU, Kenya – Kisumu Governor, Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, has criticized President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of reverting to tactics reminiscent of the Nyayo era in the ongoing dispute over the management of roads funds.
In a statement issued on April 22, 2025, Nyong’o called for the full implementation of devolution, arguing that the national government’s interference in the management of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA) is counterproductive.
Nyong’o stated that if the government is serious about devolution, these bodies should be dissolved, as county governments are capable of managing their affairs more effectively.
He cited the national government’s failure to adequately manage institutions such as Kenyatta National Hospital as evidence of its inefficiency.
“The truth is that the Ruto regime has decided to go back to pre-devolution times of the Nyayo era. The 2010 constitution is a hindrance to its primitive accumulation schemes, which threaten the very ethos of building a national democratic and developmental state,” Nyong’o said.
The Kisumu governor emphasized the importance of resisting these efforts, particularly within the Council of Governors, to safeguard the gains of devolution, which he described as part of the “achievements of the Second Liberation.”
Nyong’o’s comments reflect rising tensions between county governments and the national government over the decentralization of powers and resources, with many leaders expressing concern over the erosion of devolution principles.
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