Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has renewed calls for sweeping governance reforms, urging the transfer of education management up to the secondary school level to county governments.

Speaking at a public event on Thursday, August 14, 2025, the former prime minister said the current centralised system is outdated and inefficient, adding that it is wrong for the Ministry of Education to run schools from Nairobi.

“We must now break the cycle of managing our schools from far away. It is a shame to see a Minister of Education inspecting school structures in counties because that should be done by governors,” he said.

Education devolution

Raila recalled that during the constitution-making process, only Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) was devolved due to opposition from teachers’ unions. He said the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) had threatened to mobilise against the new constitution if primary and secondary education were included in the devolution plan.

He argued that keeping primary and secondary education under national control has created inefficiencies and slowed service delivery. Devolving the sector, he said, would enhance local accountability and empower governors to address education needs more effectively.

Scrap NG-CDF and NGAAF

He also called for the scrapping of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), saying their budgets should be redirected to counties.

“In the interest of efficiency and better service delivery, all monies currently managed by NG-CDF and NGAAF should be surrendered to counties,” he said, describing the current system as obsolete under the 2010 Constitution.

He further proposed that governors who serve two terms should automatically qualify for pensions, similar to the benefits enjoyed by Members of Parliament. “Why can we not do the same for governors? A governor who has served two terms needs to be entitled automatically to a pension,” he said, urging MPs to amend the law accordingly.

Digital devolution

To modernise county governance, Odinga pushed for “digital devolution”—making county services available online in real time and in local languages.

“This will go a long way in fighting the scourge of corruption that is taking very deep roots in counties,” he said, noting that technology can enhance transparency and improve efficiency.

Raila’s proposals have stirred debate, with supporters saying they would strengthen devolution, while critics warn of potential mismanagement at the local level. The discussion adds a fresh chapter to Kenya’s ongoing search for a more effective balance of power between the national and county governments.