Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi Kilonzo has issued a stern warning to the National Government, vowing that leaders and citizens will take to the streets for mass protests if any attempt is made to reduce the number of counties in Kenya as suggested.
Speaking in Katangi, Machakos, the Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi dismissed the proposal by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary to reduce number of Counties in Kenya as reckless, unconstitutional, and a direct assault on devolution, which he said was fought for through blood, sweat, and tears in the 2010 Constitution.
"The mere thought of scrapping counties is unacceptable! This is a betrayal of Kenyans who fought for devolution to bring resources and governance closer to the people. We will not sit back and watch this government take us backwards. If they push forward with this plan, we will mobilize citizens and take to the streets for a mega maandamano!" he declared.
Mwangangi emphasized that devolution has significantly transformed lives through improved healthcare, infrastructure, and education at the grassroots level. He warned that any move to reduce counties would cripple service delivery, weaken representation, and reverse gains made in marginalized regions.
"Counties have been lifelines for millions of Kenyans. Instead of reducing them, the National Government should be focusing on increasing funding to strengthen service delivery. What we need is more development, not backwards policies that drag us back to centralized governance," he stated.
The Deputy Governor also accused the National Treasury of failing to support devolution effectively, citing delayed disbursement of funds that have crippled county operations.
"Counties are struggling because the National Treasury holds their funds hostage. Instead of dismantling devolution, they should release funds on time and even increase allocations to ensure equitable development," he said.
Mwangangi called on all leaders, civil society groups, and citizens to reject the proposal and be ready to defend devolution at all costs.
"We will not allow a few individuals in Nairobi to sit in air-conditioned offices and decide to kill devolution. If they dare proceed with this nonsense, we will paralyze the country with mass action. Kenyans must wake up and defend what is rightfully theirs!" he warned.
His remarks come as more county leaders and stakeholders voice their opposition to the proposal, vowing to resist any attempts to reverse devolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment