Katiba Institute Executive Director Nora Mbagathi has challenged journalists to move beyond reporting political statements and instead examine whether Kenya’s devolved system of government is being implemented in line with the Constitution.
Speaking during the Senior Editors’ Forum on Devolution in Naivasha, Mbagathi said devolution has transformed governance by bringing services closer to citizens, but warned that its implementation remains incomplete.
“We cannot say devolution is fully working,” she said.
“Frequently, devolution as provided for in the Constitution, as envisioned by its framers and interpreted by the courts, does not match the reality on the ground.”
Media urged to provide constitutional context
The forum, organised by Katiba Institute, brought together senior editors from media organisations across the country to discuss the media’s role in strengthening public understanding of devolution, constitutional governance and county accountability.
Mbagathi said journalists have a responsibility to go beyond political rhetoric by explaining how constitutional provisions apply to governance issues.
She noted that the 2010 Constitution established devolution to bring power, decision-making and public resources closer to citizens while promoting equitable development across all counties.
“The idea of devolution in our Constitution was to bring power closer to the people, bring decision-making closer to the people and ensure equity across our counties and regions,” she said.
She urged journalists to investigate governance issues, particularly those involving county financing, public expenditure and corruption, rather than simply reporting political claims.
“When there are allegations of corruption at county level, interrogate them and relate them to what the Constitution actually says. We cannot just take quotes as they are being said. We need to interrogate them and provide context,” she added.
Funding remains a major challenge
According to Mbagathi, one of the biggest obstacles facing devolution is the failure to distribute national resources fairly between the national and county governments as required by the Constitution.
She argued that counties should not receive allocations based on what remains after the national government has funded its own priorities.
“It is not that the national government should allocate resources to itself and then give whatever is left over to the counties. That is unconstitutional,” she said.
Instead, she called for equitable sharing of national revenue, arguing that inadequate funding continues to undermine the objectives of devolution.
Mbagathi acknowledged that county governments must also be held accountable for corruption and poor governance, noting that Katiba Institute has previously pursued litigation and advocacy to promote transparency at the county level.
However, she maintained that counties can only effectively deliver services if they receive adequate financial resources as envisioned under the Constitution.
Strengthening public participation
Mbagathi also identified weak public participation as another challenge affecting the success of devolution.
“To what extent are people really participating in the rights that they have under the Constitution?” she posed.
“How far are we really bringing rights down to the ground where they should be originating from?”
She said journalists play a critical role in helping citizens understand constitutional principles, explaining how devolved government works and holding both national and county administrations accountable.
According to Mbagathi, informed and contextual reporting is essential for enabling Kenyans to participate effectively in governance and demand accountability from leaders at all levels.
The Senior Editors’ Forum sought to equip newsroom leaders with a deeper understanding of constitutional provisions on devolution to improve the quality, accuracy and context of reporting on county governance and public administration.
