THE PROBLEM WITH GOVERNORS' SO FAR

1. They have moribund communication and public relations departments. Most Governors' just picked media practitioners mainly from mainstream media houses without much experience in managing and cultivating corporate and political image. Most of the websites, no all the websites, of the County Governments are worse than child's play! They do not have the Governors' and his executives schedules and speeches. Do not have downloadable relevant County Governance documents like CoK 2010, Devolution Laws, County Government Bills (say Finance and Appropriation Bills); The County's biodata; No link to relevant national government websites and totally have no relationship let alone link to County Assembly websites thus denying access to the County Assembly hansards. 2. They have rewarded friendship rather than capacity in appointing of advisers. Most have advisers who have no networks independent of the governors in the counties. In addition to that most of the official advisers only took note of devolution when their governors won. I mean, I suspect most advisors have no readings and do not take to reading on devolution legally, politically and literally speaking. 3. Not engaging the public Almost without exception, the Governors are treating the public as recipients of governance and not participants in governance of their counties. They only use opportunistic meetings and forums to highlight on what their governments are doing or planing to do. Despite the Constitution of Kenya (2010), County Governments Act, Public Finance Management Act etc providing for definite public participation in planning, approval, execution and monitoring of governance activities in the counties; none of the Governors have made deliberate efforts to develop definite frameworks for public participation especially for bills and policy development. 4. Lack of language diligence. In crafting their communication especially the bills has exposed their poor official eloquence underbelly. Take for instance the current headache they are having on the finance bill; mortuary charges have always been there but when you call them taxes you are saying something else. They should easily get this done by getting to expose what the charges were before the finance bill and explain that the reflection now is resultant of health facilities now being under the county governments. Slaughter, upkeep and vaccination of livestock and pets have always been in our laws. They should just makes copies of former municipal authority budgets and financial projections to prove that they are not bringing anything new! 5. Abandoning their manifestoes All Governors without exception had campaign manifestoes; both party/coalition and individual manifestoes, yet they have abandoned them exposing as headless chicken just firefighting on all fronts including the County Assembly, civil servants, Senators, Members of National Assembly and opponents in the last election. 6. They believe the campaign lies! That a good Governor is a manager NOT a politician! Hear me dear Governors and hear me good: So long as you participated in elections, you campaigned and people voted for and against you; you are not only a politician but by being the winner you are expected to be on top of the political game here. Godspeed!