Engage in county affairs
Uasin Gishu County MCAs follow proceedings during the budget statement reading for the Financial Year 2022/2023 by Acting Executive for Finance and Economic Planning, Samuel Yego on June 28, 2022.
What you need to know:
- One of the most critical duties for governors and members of the county assembly is the formulation of the County Integrated Development Plan.
- The CIDP sets the priorities and guides all county government spending until the next election.
- These include accountability, openness, public participation and promotion of an equitable society.
Many Kenyans are closely following the provisional election results being streamed on TV.
The General Election was marred by a significantly low turnout, which analysts blame on apathy among the youth.
This comes during the International Youth Day (IYD) celebrations, themed: “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a world for all ages”.
The theme reaffirms that action is needed across all generations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which are largely driven by politics.
With Kenya among countries with a huge population of youth, their disinterest in politics and policy is worrying.
Other than being beneficiaries of the government agenda, youth must become active architects in development and engage in politics, policy and other processes that support their welfare, including health and wellbeing.
County Integrated Development Plan
Upon their swearing-in, among the first and, arguably, one of the most critical duties for governors and members of the county assembly is the formulation of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).
This is the core five-year plan that integrates the long-term spatial, sector and urban plans with inputs from the governor’s manifesto, national government plans and programmes, past county development performance, as well as the views and expectations of other development actors and the public at large.
The CIDP sets the priorities and guides all county government spending until the next election.
After elections, this is the most immediate public participation right and accountability model provided under Article 201 of the Constitution, setting out the principles of public finance to be adhered to.
These include accountability, openness, public participation and promotion of an equitable society.
Today’s IYD should remind the youth to look out and turn up prepared to make their inputs to the CIDP in their county.
Adults, who are largely facilitators of the public participation process, should guide them on how and where to do it.
Mr Fatinato is the youth coordinator, Centre for the Study of Adolescence. [email protected] @DollarmanKE
