It is two year and a few months since devolution set its foot in 47 counties in the country. Many have hailed devolution, pegging their arguments on resources reaching the common mwananchi unlike before when we had the central government controlling all the resources and managing all development projects across the country.
It is true that a lot has changed, thanks to devolution. Many have gotten jobs-the youth and semi-skilled persons through various projects in the counties- road constructions, building of offices for county chiefs, water projects- just to mention a few.
But on the other hand, concerns have been raised on how
Governors, County Executive Officers and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs)
engage in excessive expenditures of county funds. They have spent millions of
shillings on trips abroad and uncalled for allowances while performing duties
they are already paid for. The governors have however refuted claims of graft
in their counties. They launched their “Okoa Kenya” Campaign- to fight for more
funds allocation to the counties, arguing that the national government is
against devolution.
Recent revelations by the Auditor General’s Report on
counties financial mismanagement is however appalling. Edward Ouko in his
report indicated that some counties engaged in unlawful procurement procedures
and awarding of unnecessary allowances to county officers (excessive spending).
This is not the first time questions are being raised regarding misappropriation
of funds in counties. 
The controller of budget has on a number of occasions
pointed out that some counties still do not have the capacity to absorb the
funds they are asking for from the national government. I will agree with her
on this, looking at how much money is returned to the National Treasury at the
end of every financial year by the counties. For example, counties returned Sh.
30 billion at the end of fiscal year 2014/2015.The Auditor indicated that counties such as Homabay, Nyamira, Kitui, Garissa and Kisii engaged in excessive spending in the just ended financial year.
The report says that at one time in Nyamira County 33 MCAs were paid a total of Sh. 340,000 for lunch allowances as they discussed the Financial Bill. That means that each MCA pocketed a cool Sh 10,000 as lunch allowance.
In Homa Bay, the report reveals how MCAs made double claims for travel and accommodation allowances totalling to Sh 1.3 Million. The MCAs claimed that they were in Mombasa for six days. Shockingly, they were at the same time attending a county assembly forum at the ACK Guest House in Homa Bay.
The Audit Report also raised the red flag on procurement, questionable recruitment of staff and unsupported for payment of big allowances to county officers. These include inflation of costs of projects such as construction of executive offices and conference rooms.
This just but a tip of an iceberg as far as graft is concerned in the devolved governments because the full report has not been made public by Mr. Ouko.
The shocking revelations indicate that corruption has been devolved to counties- at the expense of engaging the many unemployed youth in entrepreneurial activities such as availing funds for their projects to curb the pricking crisis of unemployment.
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