How an ideal governor should lead and inspire county growth

Every election season, Kenyans flock to the ballot with hopes as high as the peaks of Mount Kenya. We elect governors with dreams drawn from the golden promises of the 2010 Constitution: equity, accountability, grassroots empowerment, and transformation.

But a decade later, the reality across most counties stands in bitter contrast to this vision. Devolution, though a beautiful child of our constitutional revolution, has too often been choked by greed, tribalism and mediocrity.

The main reason why Asian countries have registered phenomenal growth is because they put their best minds forward to lead them, while Africa generally elect the worst to lead them. Why is it that most African leaders cannot see that real power comes from being selfless and honourable?

Now let me paint a picture of a practical, constitutionally faithful and results-driven governor, the kind we desperately need for devolution to deliver on its promise. First, they must be morally grounded and intellectually sound. This governor does not weaponise tribe, nor does he dance to the tune of local kingpins or business cartels. Their personal political philosophy must be clear, intentional, and built on values: commitment to policy over petty politics, zero tolerance for corruption, appointments based on merit, and a culture of simplified transparency.

That means translating county strategic plans into simple dashboards, publicly displaying budgets, using open procurement processes, and exercising strict control over every shilling of public expenditure. Imagine a county where every project is aligned to a clear plan, and every cent spent is visible to residents via digital public noticeboards in towns and wards, from roads to bursaries to fertilizer subsidies. That is not a dream. It is possible.

This kind of leader is fiercely committed to evidence-based policymaking, not the kind that ends with flashy PowerPoint slides, but the kind rooted in serious, multi-partner engagement. They invite local universities, seasoned technocrats, think tanks, and even brilliant minds from the diaspora to help analyse county problems and design real and revolutionary solutions.

Before implementing any intervention, they ask three hard questions: Is this intervention eliminating harmful, retrogressive norms in county management? Is it being done the right way, and at the right scale, to meaningfully improve people’s lives as envisioned in our Constitution? And is it bold and innovative enough to transform the county rather than simply tweak the status quo?

A transformative governor must also harness all forms of capital, not just financial. Social capital, intellectual capital, technological innovation, and trust capital from communities must be mobilised. Think of a county that turns youth groups into co-owners of innovation hubs, where they receive training on agri-business, digital skills, and light manufacturing. Or one where retired professionals and technocrats mentor ward-level administrators and oversight committees. Under this governor, no public expenditure occurs without a signed contract. Any county official who issues an illegal or collusive contract is held personally and criminally liable.

Take agriculture, the economic lifeline of most counties. This governor ensures the approach is wholistic from production to the markets. He or she ensures that ward-level data determines where to channel subsidised seeds, training, or extension officers. They create digitised supply chains for milk, bananas, potatoes, or fish, linking farmers directly with urban markets.

In healthcare, they push beyond Level 2 clinics that barely stock paracetamol. They introduce biometric tracking for patients, ensure medicine stocks are visible to the public online, and reward health workers based on outcomes, not just attendance. Clinics are upgraded using output-based budgeting, not guesswork.

Politically, this governor decentralises real power. Ward Development Committees are not rubber stamps; they are decision-makers with budgets, oversight, and direct reporting mechanisms. Local voices shape local priorities. That is the very spirit of devolution. This, dear reader, is how an ideal governor should look like. Not a messiah, but a manager. Not a populist, but a planner. Not a looter, but a leader.