Treasury CS John Mbadi Calls for Reduction of Counties, Labels 47 as Unsustainable
The Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, John Mbadi, has sparked debate by calling for a drastic reduction in the number of counties, stating that Kenya’s 47 devolved units are an unsustainable financial burden. According to the CS, the government is struggling to sustain the ballooning wage bill, and reverting to the old system of eight provinces—or at most 14—would be a more viable solution.
Mbadi, speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive, lamented that the current devolved system has resulted in excessive government spending with minimal returns. “You go to counties and you will find all kinds of staff—directors of fishermen, boda bodas, music, culture directors—all earning big salaries, with deputies. It is simply too much for the country to sustain,” he argued.
‘Mini Presidents’ Running 47 Governments
The CS took issue with the structure of county governments, describing them as “mini presidencies” that are consuming huge resources without commensurate development. “Each county has a governor who is essentially a mini president, with a deputy, ten ministers, chief officers, and a fully-fledged county assembly. The wage bill is astronomical,” he lamented.
When posed with the question of whether he would support a return to the previous provincial system, Mbadi firmly stated, “I would go for a maximum of 14. The former eight provinces would have been sufficient, but if you consider Rift Valley, it was equivalent to two or three provinces combined. Even with 14, resources could still be effectively devolved without the excess baggage of heavy government.”
Kenya’s Expensive Government
Mbadi laid bare the country’s financial crisis, citing the overwhelming expenditure on salaries. “We are currently paying Ksh.80 billion per month in salaries at the national level alone. That amounts to nearly Ksh.1 trillion per year, yet our total revenue collection stands at Ksh.2.5 trillion. Additionally, loan repayments take up Ksh.1.1 trillion annually, leaving almost no room for development,” he explained.
Time for Tough Conversations
The Treasury boss urged Kenyans to rethink the structure of devolution, asserting that the country does not necessarily need multiple layers of government to achieve grassroots development. “What we needed was devolution of resources, not an expansion of government structures. Right now, we have so many MCAs, and due to the two-thirds gender rule, we also nominate many additional members. This significantly increases the wage bill with minimal impact on service delivery.”
Mbadi further emphasized that the issue is not just about devolution but about its effectiveness. “Kenyans need to engage in a conversation about whether this is the type of devolution we envisioned. The truth is, we could still devolve resources without creating an unsustainable system.”
A Call for Action
The CS’s remarks are expected to ignite a nationwide debate, especially with counties already facing financial distress. Whether or not the proposal to reduce the number of counties gains traction remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—Kenya’s bloated government structure is now under the microscope, and the call for fiscal discipline is louder than ever.
In other news:Raila Odinga: Kenya Has Made Great Strides but More Needs to Be Done
Treasury CS John Mbadi Calls for Reduction of Counties, Labels 47 as Unsustainable