AFRICA : KENYA : PROF. - ELECT QUALITY LEADERS

CISA REPORT
Elect-Quality-Leaders,-PS-Mutahi-Urges-Voters

ELDORET, October 23, 2012 (CISA) –The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Prof. Karega Mutahi has urged voters countrywide to elect quality leaders in the coming General Election irrespective of their wealth status noting that previously only candidates who were wealthy were voted in a trend that should now come to an end.

“Any person can be elected a leader but we need quality leaders. You should not follow ‘political waves’ but rather seek quality. Forget about the three-piece-suit mode of election for with devolution it will no longer be tenable” he said.

Speaking on the election of county governors he said that “The Governor is overall in devolution. He or she cannot be elected by a wave if he cannot argue his/her case”
He urged citizens to play their part in supporting county governments by paying tax advising that ‘there is no right without responsibility. It cannot be haki yetu without wajibu wetu’. (Swahili for our rights without our responsibilities)
Prof. Mutahi noted that Devolution was greatly misunderstood by many and his ministry was out to rectify this.

“The ministry is spearheading a civic education on Devolution and Public Finance Management. This is aimed at equipping officers with the knowledge of new structures and systems in devolved governments. Phase one trained five officers per county who are being used to train 40 others in their respective counties who will in turn conduct training in all counties”

He was speaking during a national workshop at Sirikwa Hotel Eldoret, on “Devolution: The Promise of 2013 Elections during the Democratic Governance civil society Week. The Democratic Governance civil society Week is an initiative of Amkeni Wakenya, a UNDP led facility set up to promote democratic governance in Kenya.

Discussions centered on how best the citizens can prepare to usher in the County Governments as we approach the 2013 General Elections.
While opening the conference Mr Alfredo Teixiera, Deputy Country Director, Programmes UNDP urged the civil society to not only remain alert but be neutral and remain watchful. He also urged them to help make the promise of devolution a reality in Kenya.

Eldoret towns and its environs was one of the hot spots in the country during the infamous Post Election Violence witnessed after the 2007 General Elections.
The conference runs from October 22 to October 26, 2012.
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