Head of Public Service Felix Koskei in Diani on
Friday / BRIAN OTIENO
County secretaries must ensure county policies align
with those of the national government to have seamless running of the two
levels of government, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has said.
He said county secretaries’ roles are
similar to his and they must work in collaboration to avoid friction
between the national government and the devolved units.
“Whatever information the county governments need to be discussed at the national level, it should be handled in a manner
that is efficient so that whatever is required as an input to the development
of this country is that with one understanding and speed,” Koskei said.
He spoke during the inaugural convention of the head
of public service and county secretaries in Diani, Kwale county, on Friday.
Koskei said devolution was established because
there are unique features in each county that require local solutions.
He said challenges in counties are
normal and that is why the national government is still there to help out whenever
necessary.
“The national government is here to tackle the
challenges and come up with better ways of handling those challenges," he said.
“We are only 12 years into devolution and we have
already made great strides in our devolved units. And as we progress forward,
we are going to continue smoothening and sharpening. We have seen a lot of improvement.
Five years ago was not like now.”
He said
even the national government has its own challenges but it is in how one tackles
those challenges that matters.
Misinterpretation of policies and the law, lack of
resources and interpersonal challenges will always be there but there are
staff employed to deal with those challenges.
Council of Governors chairman Ahmed Abdullahi said
county secretaries are the link between the political leadership and the civil
service within the county.
“It is a very critical role in anchoring, administratively,
the counties. It is important that it has the linkage with the Head of Public Service
who holds the same role at the national level,” he said.
The Wajir governor said the national government and
counties should be distinct and interdependent at the same time, meaning there
should be a delicate balance.
“It is supposed to be cooperative and consultative
in the manner in which we engage between the two levels of government,”
Abdullahi said.
He said even for functions that have been transferred
to the devolved units, the national government still retains policies.
This, Abdullahi said, requires effective communication to
enable smooth running of the devolved units and the national government.
“The effective implementation of those policies at
the county level in line with the constitution and the laws of the country is
very vital," he said.
“This is why county secretaries are very important
people in counties. They see the bird’s eye view. They literally run the county
governments on behalf of the governors.”
He said with more consultation and coordination
both the counties and the national government stand to gain by reducing
conflicts, real or perceived, between the counties and the national government.
The Wajir governor said occasional conflicts
between the national government and counties are normal given that devolution
is still relatively young.
He said almost all the functions of the counties,
save for the municipalities and town administrations, used to belong to the
national government.
“There will be overlaps here and there. It is
normal for, also, county governments to try and protect their turf.
“We also sometimes get told that we encroach on
national government functions. But when we meet and discuss, we find solutions,”
Abdullahi said.
He said even in the US, where they had federal
states for over 200 years, they sometimes tend to overlap and encroach on each
other’s territories.
“At the end of the day we serve the same people,”
he said.
