FAQs

County Governments are responsible for a wide range of functions designed to bring services closer to the people. These include managing county health services such as hospitals, health centers, dispensaries, and ambulance services excluding national referral hospitals. Counties also oversee agriculture, including crop and animal husbandry, livestock markets, abattoirs, and the control of plant and animal diseases, as well as local fisheries.

In education, Counties handle pre-primary education through Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centers, village polytechnics, and homecraft centers. County transport is another major function, encompassing county roads, street lighting, traffic and parking management, and regulation of public road transport.

Counties promote trade development and regulation by licensing local businesses, managing markets, ensuring fair trade practices, and promoting local tourism. They are also tasked with county planning and development, which includes land surveying and mapping, boundary delineation, and housing development control.

Public works and services at the county level include stormwater management, water supply, and sanitation, excluding national water systems. Counties manage cultural and recreational activities such as libraries, museums, sports facilities, cultural centers, and liquor licensing.

They also handle animal control and welfare, licensing dogs and managing animal care facilities, and enforce local policies to control public nuisances, drug abuse, and pornography. Environmental conservation and forestry management are key devolved functions as well, focusing on sustainable natural resource use at the county level.

In addition, Counties are responsible for disaster management, including local emergency preparedness and response, and for establishing and managing their own public service systems.

While these are the primary devolved functions, effective governance depends on cooperation between the national and county governments, especially in shared or overlapping areas and where capacity constraints exist.

The State Department for Devolution engages with counties by providing capacity building, technical support, policy guidance, monitoring and evaluation. It also fosters inter-governmental coordination forums and supports legislative frameworks.

You can contact State Department for Devolution via:

Address: Office of the Deputy President,

State Department for Devolution,

Teleposta Towers – Kenyatta Avenue,

P.O. Box 30004 – 00100 Nairobi

Phone: +254 020 225 0645
Email: info@devolution.go.ke (general enquiries)

complaints@devolution.go.ke

County Governments interested in technical assistance should contact State Department for Devolution via the established channels (as above) and refer to the relevant programmes or guidelines published on State Department for Devolution’s website or the Devolution Sector Plan. State Department for Devolution also publishes guidelines and manuals for programmes such as the Kenya Devolution Support Programme II (KDSP II). 

Yes. The State Department for Devolution has published its Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027 which sets out key result areas and frameworks for implementation. 

Key mechanisms include:

•    The State Department for Devolution which manages devolution affairs and policies on devolved system of government, coordinates inter-governmental relations and provides support to County Governments to perform their functions.
•    The Council of Governors (CoG) which brings together the 47 County Governors, facilitating consultation and sharing of best practices. 
•    The National & County Government Coordinating Summit, which is the apex forum chaired by the President and participates the Governors. 
•    The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) which operates under the Inter-governmental Relations Act, 2012. 

The State Department for Devolution adheres to the principles of the Constitution which emphasize democratic and accountable exercise of power, access to information and public participation (see article 174 of the Constitution). Additionally, State Department for Devolution provides feedback mechanisms on its website, supports civic education and encourages citizens to engage in devolved governance processes.

One major programme is the Second Kenya Devolution Support Programme (KDSP II), a four-year programme aimed at strengthening counties’ performance in financing, management, coordination and accountability for resources. State Department for Devolution also supports initiatives around good governance, public finance management, inter-governmental coordination and capacity building.

Relevant documents such as the Policy on the Devolved System of Government, State Department for Devolution’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027, manuals for special programmes (e.g., KDSP II) and other reports are available through State Department for Devolution’s website. 
11. How can I report corruption, sexual harassment or other misconduct related to State Department for Devolution operations?
The State Department for Devolution has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and sexual harassment. Reports can be made as follows:
•    For corruption: Email corruption@devolution.go.ke or complaints@devolution.go.ke devolution.go.ke
•    For sexual harassment: Email sexualharrassment@devolution.go.ke or info@devolution.go.ke. devolution.go.ke
12. How does State Department for Devolution support public participation and civic education?
The State Department for Devolution recognizes the importance of citizens engaging in governance under devolution. It supports civic education initiatives, develops guidelines for public participation and ensures that county and national levels include community voices in decision-making. 
13. What is the bottom-line: why does devolution matter?
Devolution is anchored in the Constitution to:
•    Promote democratic and accountable exercise of power. 
•    Bring services closer to the people. 
•    Ensure equitable sharing of resources across the country. 
•    Enable communities to manage their own affairs and contribute to their development.