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Kara-UNDP Amkeni Wakenya Initiative
Nairobi County
Nairobi County is the largest County by population but the smallest by land mass.
It has an estimated population of five million people and controls over 60 percent of
Kenya’s economy. But despite being nearest to governmental systems, it has failed
to use this advantage to put together an acknowledged County forum. It attributes
this to widespread and diverse interests.
Besides, there are powerful players who call the shots in both public and private sector
affairs. Nevertheless, groups of diverse organizations appreciate Kara’s intervention
and hope that through Kara’s guidance, a citywide County forum will be formed with
devolved branches in the districts, divisions and wards within Nairobi County.
Other Counties
Other counties have undertaken to prepare County blueprints on their own initiative
as follows:
• Uasin Gishu County professionals had by the end of the year 2011 completed
their blueprint. This, however, faced some challenges from citizens and other
groups who felt excluded. It was seen as an elitist document lacking citizen
participation. The document is the first complete blueprint Kara has seen
in about 15 counties where it has conducted civic education. It is a good
initiative by professionals who spent colossal sums from their own sources.
Finance has been a major constraint to the preparation of County blueprints.
Kara has therefore advised that a consultative process be initiated throughout
the County to sell the document for adoption by the citizens and other
organizations that may feel excluded.
• Kiambu County Forum took up the preparation of a blueprint as its first duty.
The forum started by conducting a workshop for all its 17 sectoral committee
leaders. The 17 sectoral subcommittees constitute subject areas such as legal
and governance, ICT, Diaspora, women empowerment, tourism, education,
health, youth empowerment and infrastructure among others. The subcommittees
have developed concept papers to support policy proposals for the
County blueprint.
The County forum has held stakeholder consultations with leaders from all
constituencies in Kiambu, elected Members of Parliament, the youth and
religious organizations. They are preparing to carry out civic education in all
constituencies with the hope of getting support at the grassroots level for their
proposals. The forum is planning to have the blueprint approved and adopted in
a countywide conference which will mark the end of the process.
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Devolution and County Blueprints
Cross-Cutting Lessons