“𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡” – 𝐇.𝐄. 𝐃𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐞𝐢 𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐨, 𝐂.𝐆.𝐇

Day 1 of the 2025 Devolution Conference opened with a strong call to action: placing equity, inclusion and social justice at the heart of governance.

H.E. President William Samoei Ruto, the Chief Guest, underscored that devolution is the beating heart of our national vision for a Kenya where every citizen has a fair and equal opportunity to thrive. 

He noted that the #DevolutionConference2025 is not just a forum to take stock but an opportunity to reimagine, re-engineer and accelerate county-level progress so that prosperity reaches every village, every town and every county.

Before delivering his keynote, the President toured the vibrant exhibition booths and pavilions, interacting warmly with local innovators, farmers and entrepreneurs showcasing their products and services. The energy and creativity on display reflected the very essence of this year’s conference theme.

In his remarks, Principal Secretary for Devolution Michael Loikenu Lenasalon said that the key to unlocking the full potential of devolution is embedding a performance management culture across all county operations, linking budgets directly to service delivery outcomes and placing citizens at the heart of governance.

This central message captured the core pillars of his address: positioning performance management as the backbone of county excellence, ensuring that budget execution translates into tangible results for communities and adopting a citizen-centered approach to governance. 

By weaving these priorities together, PS Lenasalon emphasized that the real measure of devolution’s success lies in the everyday lives it transforms and the public trust it earns.

The first day of the conference shone a spotlight on Good Governance, with discussions centering on how county governments can weave the principles of accountability, transparency and citizen-centered leadership into their daily operations.

#DevolutionConference2025