The devolution framework entrenched in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 offers opportunities for the country to address key national challenges. These include: high poverty levels, inequalities, corruption and poor service delivery in the public sector. The success of decentralization will be measured on the basis of the country’s success in overcoming these challenges. For the country to ensure successful decentralization, several measures should be put in place. The national government must, therefore, explore ways of redeploying the staff of the provincial administration in the county administration. In order to operationalize the county governments, decisions on the location of county headquarters must be made. There has not been consensus on the location of county headquarters for some counties. This indecision may delay the operationalization of county governments. The national government must, therefore, provide the guidelines for choosing the location of county headquarters. From the above analysis, it is clear that democratic decentralization has the potential to reduce inequalities. However, effective public participation is critical. In addition, national and county governments must desist from spreading public resources thinly across vast regions and many sectors. In order to incentivize good performance and investment in national priorities among county governments, the national government should incorporate conditions on grant transfers to counties.
