Summit remarks · 10 December 2025
His Excellency the Deputy President, Distinguished Governors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the State House, Nairobi, this morning for the 12th National and County Governments Coordinating Summit. Each time we gather under this framework, we renew a commitment that lies at the heart of our constitutional order: The commitment to shared governance, inclusive prosperity, and collective responsibility for the future of our nation.
Since the inaugural summit, we have seen - clearly and powerfully - the transformation that happens when governments choose collaboration over confrontation, and partnership over competition. Devolution has not only drawn the machinery of governance closer to the people, but it has also energised counties to become genuine engines of local development, centres of coordination, and champions of responsive, peoplecentred service delivery.
Over the past year in particular, this spirit of partnership has been evident across the country. Counties have stepped up assertively: Strengthening healthcare delivery under the Social Health Authority reforms; expanding agricultural value chains; accelerating the establishment of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks; and adopting digital systems that have modernised planning, record-keeping, and payments at the county level.
These reforms are visible in our hospitals, where serviceprovision has improved; in farms and markets, where farmers and traders now benefit from better infrastructure and coordinated support; in schools, where collaborative programmes such as the transfer of school feeding initiatives and assets are enhancing enrolment and retention; and in households, where citizens now interact with government more easily, affordably, and transparently. For our part as the National Government, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with counties. We have implemented fiscal and structural reforms that guarantee more predictable cash disbursements, strengthened monitoring of summit resolutions, and introduced collaborative systems of planning and reporting. Most importantly, for the first time in our nation’s history, we have completed the full delineation, unbundling, and gazettement of devolved functions through Gazette Notices Nos. 16472 to 16483. This long-awaited clarification of roles, pending for nearly 12 years, finally removes historical ambiguities, duplication, and institutional tensions that slowed service delivery and generated conflict over responsibilities. While significant progress has been achieved, I am aware that some functional areas remain unresolved or contested. The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) should therefore accelerate the clarification and determination of the unbundled functional components for transfer to the respective level of government.
Ladies and gentlemen, I reaffirm that resources shall follow the transferred functions, consistently and in good faith, as mandated by our Constitution. In line with the gazetted functions, I am informed that IGRTC has, in the interim, identified resources for consideration in the 2026/27 financial year for transfer to county governments. I therefore call upon the Commission on Revenue Allocation and the National Treasury, using the tentative resource estimates identified by IGRTC, to verify this information and finalise a definitive figure that will serve as the basis for financial transfer to counties.
While we await the full realisation of financial transfers, significant progress has already been made in the transfer of non-financial resources, specifically fixed and movable assets. IGRTC has gazetted the transfer of more than 46,000 parcels of land and 8,062 housing units to county governments through Kenya Gazette No. 171 of 11th August, 2025, and No. 188 of 5th September, 2025. These assets are now under the custody and management of county governments. I urge counties to collaborate with the relevant agencies to facilitate the processing of legal ownership documents as required by law.
Additionally, 34,000 parcels of land and over 1,000 housing units are pending transfer across 40 counties. The IGRTC should fasttrack this process to ensure that all attendant resources are transferred without further delay.
A central mandate of this summit is the assessment of devolution performance across both levels of government. The secretariat is responsible for conducting these assessments and reporting recommendations to the summit, including on recently transferred functions.
While I acknowledge the positive progress made, I remain concerned about our inability to fully execute resolutions adopted at previous summits. I urge our secretariat to ensure full implementation of all resolutions and call upon all responsible parties to fulfil their mandates diligently and report progress promptly.
At the last two summit meetings, a resolution was passed to review the Intergovernmental Relations Act to legally entrench the Council of Governors Secretariat and strengthen IGRTC. I understand that the legislative process has stalled in Parliament. I request the Speaker of the National Assembly to intervene, in consultation with the Senate, to resolve the challenges affecting the amendment Bill’s progress and ensure that intergovernmental relations’ institutions receive the legal support required to perform their functions effectively.
As we reflect on the commitments we made to the people of Kenya, it is satisfying to observe the significant progress achieved in just three years. A cornerstone of our transformative agenda has been the Housing Programme, including hostels and markets, a top priority aimed at restoring dignity, fostering community development, and enhancing long-term economic stability for families who have long desired to own a decent home.
The success of this programme is rooted in partnership and shared vision. I extend my sincere appreciation to all 47 county governments for their collaboration and support in making this national dream a reality.
Your contributions - from land allocation and streamlined approvals to logistical facilitation - have been instrumental in accelerating progress across regions. This level of cooperation demonstrates the power of unity, proving that when we work together, even the most ambitious goals are achievable.
We remain firmly committed to scaling up this programme to ensure that quality, sustainable, and affordable homes are within reach for every deserving Kenyan family, thereby improving livelihoods and contributing to sustained national economic growth.
As I conclude, I express my deep gratitude to all governors, Cabinet Secretaries, the State Department for Devolution, and IGRTC for your dedication. Let us sustain this spirit of consultation and partnership, and let us remain focused on our shared goal: A Kenya where every county thrives, and every Kenyan feels seen, heard, and served, as we deliver on the promise of devolution. I thank you. ###