Decentralised government is a godsend for Wajir — Abdullahi

As the country prepares to mark 10 years of a decentralised system of government, Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi says it is the best thing to have ever happened to the region.

Speaking in Wajir town on Sunday, he said the 2010 Constitution gave Kenyans a chance to develop their respective counties.

“For us devolution was truly a godsend and we are not taking this for granted,” Abdullahi said.

“Wajir today is a shining example of the success of devolution. For the first time since Independence, residents have seen tarmacked road.”

This would never have been realised under the old Constitution, where the national cake was shared from Nairobi, he said.

The Devolution Conference will be held in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu county, starting on August 15–19 under the theme '10 Years of Devolution: The Present and the Future'.

Abdullahi said Wajir residents are happy with the transformation in all sectors.

Devolution has revolutionised a previously marginalised county into a modern, vibrant and secure town, he said.

Deputy Governor Ahmed Muhumed was present.

Abdullahi recalled how his idea of tarmacking the town was first met with a lot of resistance. 

He said implementing it was not a walk in the park.

“I vividly remember how vehicles used to be stuck in the sand and had to be pulled out,” he said.

“And so when I attempted to do the tarmac, people thought I was crazy. They said, 'No, you cannot do tarmac with this sand'."

In the health sector, Abdullahi said his administration had managed to significantly invest in infrastructure and reduced the high maternal death rate.

He said the county has 56 doctors, of which 18 are consultants specialising in various fields.

“You can imagine we had one medical doctor covering the entire Wajir county," he said.

"So if an expectant woman got complications at the Ethiopian border, about 300km from this town, she had to be brought to this referral hospital to access Caesarean services."

In the water sector, Abdullahi said before the advent of devolution, the county only had 82 boreholes, adding that they now have 300 operational boreholes that have been drilled.

This, he said, has greatly reduced the distance people walk for water.

Abdullahi, who was the pioneer governor, won back his seat on an ODM ticket.

He called on Kenyans to jealously guard devolution, saying it has not only helped accelerate development across the country but also brought services closer to the people.

“As the vice chair CoG, I want to sincerely thank President William Ruto for showing his commitment to fully support devolution and making sure it works by timely disbursement of funds. He also has our full support,” he said.

Abdi Ali, 75, a retired primary school teacher, said the best thing that ever happened after decades of marginalisation was devolution.

“Sometimes when I look at this town [Wajir], I feel like I am still daydreaming,” he said.

"Seeing several three-storey buildings have coming up with five big hotels, coupled with a tarmac road across all the roads in our time, things can only get better."