Nyeri MCAs listen to Governor Mutahi Kahiga as he gives his inaugural speech during the official opening of the county assembly in October last year.
| File | Nation Media GroupCounties
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Kenya's best MCAs: Nyeri, Homa Bay and Murang'a lead in latest poll
What you need to know:
- War reps in 25 counties managed an approval rating of 50 percent and above.
- Compared to 2015 and 2020, ratings have dropped with top MCAs getting an average score of 68 percent.
A majority of Kenyans think ward representatives are doing a good job more than a year into office, with most receiving an average approval rating of more than 50 per cent, according to a new opinion poll.
According to the survey by Infotrak Research and Consulting, members of county assemblies (MCAs) in 25 devolved units received a performance rating of 50 per cent and above, an average that is only eclipsed by governors at 57 per cent but is higher than that for senators and woman reps.
The poll, whose results were released on Wednesday, had put senators’ average rating at 46 per cent and that for women representatives at 42 per cent.
The CountyTrak Performance Index, conducted between July and September, ranked the top performing MCAs from 25 counties and indicated that ward reps Nyeri County are the best performing countrywide (57 per cent), with their counterparts in Homa Bay the most improved.
They were followed by ward representatives from Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyandarua, Machakos, Homa Bay and Murang’a, who tied in second with a rating of 55 per cent. MCAs from Turkana, Kitui, Baringo and Makueni rounded off the top 10 with approval ratings of 54 per cent.
The grassroots leaders’ performance has seen some of them rise to top positions like senators and governors, for instance Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo, Kirinyaga and Nyandarua senators Kamau Murango and John Methu, among others.
In the category of the top 10 most improved ward representatives, the current crop of Homa Bay MCAs has put in a stellar performance, eclipsing their counterparts in the last assembly. According to the survey, Homa Bay County Assembly moved a whopping 43 places from a poor ranking of 45 in 2020 to second in 2023.
Coming a distant second was Murang’a, moving 25 places from position 27 in 2020 to second currently, with Nyandarua next on the list having moved 22 places from position 24.
Narok is next, moving 19 places, followed by Kiambu (17), Nyeri, Trans Nzoia and Taita Taveta (16), Mandera (13) and Kitui, Bungoma, Baringo and Kirinyaga (10).
The MCAs have constitutional responsibilities of legislation, representation, and oversight where they are involved in vetting of county executive committee members, chief officers and members of the County Public Service Board.
The ward representatives also approve policy and planning documents relating to county governments such as County Integrated and Development Plans and Annual Development Plans. They are also involved in the budget making process where they undertake public participation to determine community priorities, formulation, adoption and passage of the budget in the House before approving or rejecting budgets by the Executive.
The MCAs keep the executive arm of county governments in check by ensuring that they deliver on their mandates, properly use public resources and adhere to constitutional guidelines on leadership and integrity in governance.
The poll, however, painted a gloomy picture for county assemblies from Coast, North Eastern, Western, and Nairobi regions where none of the assemblies made it to the top 10.
Western had only Bungoma making it to the list of top 25 at position 11 with an approval rating of 53 per cent. The Bungoma MCAs are tied with their Narok and Embu counterparts.
The same scenario obtains for Coast, where only MCAs from Taita Taveta made it to the expanded list coming in at position 18 with a rating of 51 per cent. Nairobi MCAs and their counterparts from North Eastern have not made it even to the top 25 list. West Pokot is placed at position 14 with a rating of 52 per cent, same to Uasin Gishu, Kericho and Kirinyaga.
Taita Taveta, Trans Nzoia and Kisii county assemblies are tied at position 18 with a rating of 51 per cent. Bomet, Migori, Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Siaya complete the list with a performance rating of 50 per cent.
However, compared to surveys done in 2015 and 2020, the approval ratings of MCAs have also suffered a beating with the top ward representatives receiving an average score of 68 per cent in 2015.
This, however, dropped to 59 per cent in 2020 which further dropped to 57 per cent this year.
All the top five county assemblies in the 2015 poll had more than 63 per cent performance rating, which would still have topped in the 2020 and 2023 surveys.
Regionally, Nyeri MCAs top in Central followed by Nyandarua and Murang’a; Taita Taveta leads in Coast followed by Kwale and Kilifi (49 per cent).
Machakos ward reps are best in Eastern followed by Kitui and Makueni while their Mandera counterparts lead in North Eastern with a rating of 48 per cent.
Interestingly, Nairobi MCAs have an average performance rating of 47 per cent, lower than their Mandera colleagues.
Homa Bay, Kisii and Migori lead in Nyanza while Bungoma tops in Western, followed by Kakamega and Vihiga MCAs tied at 48 per cent.
Elgeyo Marakwet MCAs are the leaders in Rift Valley followed by Turkana and Baringo, both with an average approval of 54 per cent, Narok (53 per cent) and West Pokot (52 per cent).
