How far has devolution come in Kenya?

Oxford DPhil candidate Johanna Koehler explores devolution of water governance in Kenya in a blog for reachwater.org.uk.

Since the promulgation of its new constitution in 2010, Kenya has pursued a policy of decentralisation which has seen a number of key functions such as water and health devolved from national to county level. This process has seen the creation of 47 county governments, each with its own county water ministry. Following a three-year transition period, service delivery is now fully devolved, but water resource management mainly remains the responsibility of the national government, presenting new challenges for water governance in Kenya.

This was one of the key issues discussed at this April’s Third Annual Devolution Conference in Meru, Kenya, where Johanna Koehler presented a policy brief exploring a number of key issues on water policy choices facing Kenya’s 47 counties based on her research. Further information on the research and her experience of the Devolution Conference can be found in a blog posted on the REACH website.