Governor Nyong’o Plays Down Senator’s Plan For 13 Counties
Kisumu Governor Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o has spoken out against a proposal by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ to cut the number of counties from 47 to 13.
The governor, who previously served as a senator from 2013 to 2017, stated that such a move would violate the ideas of devolution.
Nyong’o rejected Senator Kajwang’s recent address in Homa Bay, in which he stated that the existing number of counties is “unsustainable,” simple.
Nyong’o claims Kajwang’s numbers-driven approach overlooks the broader context of Kenya’s devolved governance.
“This is a knee-jerk reaction of an accountant mesmerised by the game of easy calculation of figures,” Nyong’o said in a statement dated April 23.
“At the dawn of devolution, there were extensive discussions about how many counties were appropriate. These historical and constitutional considerations cannot be casually dismissed.”
WHY I DISAGREE WITH KAJWANG’
— Gov. Anyang' Nyong'o (@AnyangNyongo) April 23, 2025
My friend and Homa Bay Senator, @moseskajwang, recently gave a powerful political speech.
While speaking in Homa Bay, he expressed dissatisfaction with the number of County Governments and suggested that the number be reduced from 47 to at least 13.… pic.twitter.com/26eU6C4oWR
Nyong’o asked the senator to start a larger, more inclusive discussion with stakeholders from many disciplines before advocating for structural reforms to the devolution structure.
“I suggest that Kajwang’ call for a serious discussion involving diverse representatives from different schools of thought, so that this issue can be deliberated upon seriously and resolved in a manner that will benefit the nation,” Nyong’o said.
The governor restated his support for the present 47-county model, urging a frank assessment of its successes and failings rather than a complete redesign.
“In the meantime, I submit that I fully accept the present structure of devolution,” he added.
“Let us evaluate it, establish what has been achieved, and identify what we could have accomplished after acknowledging some of the shortcomings we might have overlooked.”
Kajwang’s idea has already sparked debate among political leaders and governance experts, with some describing it as bold and important.
Others see Kajwang’s plan as a danger to the inclusivity and service delivery objectives that devolution was intended to achieve.
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Addressing a public meeting in Homa Bay, Kajwang raised concern about the inefficiencies and high expense of maintaining the current decentralized governance framework.
He contended that the current system, while well-intentioned, has become a financial burden on the country and is in desperate need of reform.
“We need to have a serious conversation about the sustainability of our devolution model,” Kajwang’ said.
“The structure we have today is bloated and expensive. Reducing the number of counties to at least 13 would ensure efficient service delivery and better use of public resources.”
Governor Nyong’o Plays Down Senator’s Plan For 13 Counties
