KENYA MOVES TO ADVANCE LOCAL GOVERNANCE, HOSTS NEW UCLG-A REGIONAL OFFICE
Kenya will host the East Africa Regional Office of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-A) following the signing of a Hosting Agreement between the State Department for Devolution and UCLG-A. This milestone underscores Kenya's dedication to promoting devolution and strengthening good governance across the African continent.
Speaking while officiating the signing of the hosting agreement, the Deputy President of Kenya Prof. Kithure Kindiki said the move portrays Kenya’s strong belief in subsidiarity and addressing the developmental needs of its people from all levels of governance.
“Having the UCLG-A Regional Office in Nairobi is an honour to Kenya as it highlights the promise of strengthening decision making and service delivery in local governance. We will ensure immediate operationalization of this office in order to pick best practice from this collaboration to help push Kenya and Africa forward,” said the Deputy President.
While signing the agreement, Principal Secretary for Devolution, Teresia Mbaika, emphasized that hosting the regional office in Kenya offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen devolved governments. She highlighted that the office will focus on capacity building through the development of a regional resource center, which will support the reinforcement of national associations working towards creating a just and democratic society that promotes the social and economic well-being of all citizens.
“A key part of our approach is to incorporate inclusive and sustainable best practices in the local government sector through peer-to-peer learning. We will also hold regional strategy caucuses to set clear regional objectives and specific programs for devolved governments,” said PS Mbaika.
The PS reiterated the State Department for Devolution’s enthusiasm in collaborating closely with UCLG-A and other key partners to enhance and strengthen cooperation in advancing devolution and decentralization in Kenya.
UCLG Africa Secretary General, Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, said that the Nairobi Regional Office will play a key role in improving local governance across Eastern Africa. He expressed his gratitude to President William Ruto for his leadership in ensuring the swift establishment of the office and shared his anticipation for its successful implementation and operation.
The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-A) is the umbrella organization and the united voice and representative of local governments in Africa. Kenya will become the 5th regional office in the continent covering Eastern Africa. Other regional offices are Accra, Ghana for Western Africa, Cairo, Egypt for Northern Africa, Pretoria, South Africa for Southern Africa and Liberville, Gabon for Central Africa.