@tycho, for once I have understood a post from you. Before, I was just seeing twinkling stars when trying to read.

As is now, devolution is a social welfare system where the central government collects taxes and distributes to the the various Conties their allocation to mostly meet recurrent expenditure esp salaries and allowance to civil servants and county executives. There is little or no money left for any serious investments that can generate internal revenue in the counties. Once the politics cools down and a sober debate can be done, may be then we will figure out how best to develop all regions equitably.

Based on the experience of he Economic Stimulus Plan where markets, fishing ponds etc were done in rural areas and no substantial growth was realized it is clear very small units like counties have little capacity to generate markets and attract external investments unless the pull factor eg minerals, cheap source of power, necessary skills etc are available the counties will be struggling to survive.

Once the wheels of social welfare gain momentum there'll be no political cool down.

We will slide down all the way.

IMO, our answer lies in entrepreneurship, especially the support of small businesses. And in this regard, some of the greatest impediments and obstacles to this have always been local authorities. Sadly, it seems as though the county gov'ts have inherited and enhanced the same repressive tactics.

But you should agree with Tycho, on 'entrepreneurship' Rankaz13 has just hopped on. This is a small detail I could not help but notice.

Let me state why and how I noticed what I have noticed.

If the answer to devolution is in entrepreneurship then the answer to entrepreneurship is in education.

What is the quality of the individuals who are supposed to 'operate' this entrepreneurship?

What is their take on 'entrepreneurship'? Are they willing to get into the 'hardware' enterprises?

Like Rakaz13 and you, 'we' finger the 'local authorities', the 'other people' the governors, as the culprits, impediments, obstacles.

Unlike Gathinge, 'we' are not seeing the potentials of the markets, fish ponds, the handy (literally) skills etc in the rural areas.

Unlike Tycho, 'we' are not seeing the potentials of 'appropriate' technologies at the village level.

And Tycho will forgive me for suspecting that this thread is a subtle follow up to a case study, 'otonglo' man saga which we had discussed earlier.

With the current mindset of Kenyans as depicted in that discussion about his training, his education, will this 'otonglo' man contribute to devolution?

Will you and I contribute to devolution? 'How can we increase disposable incomes using IT?' '..... We can improve our lives greately' ....

That is the reason why and how I noticed what I had noticed.

But maybe Tycho can tell us who is 'we'? lol.

I suspect Tycho will forgive me for stealing his thunder. And Rakarz13 will owe me a beer

As for your point about education, I agree. But it is only half the answer.

We have education but of the wrong orientation, where youth are socialized to think that someone owes them a job. You remember that old VOK/KBC jingle:

"Someni vijana
Mtapata kazi nzuri sana."

Those days are gone and our education must orient youth to become job creators, not job seekers.

Unfortunately a recent article by Biko, lamenting the lethargy of our youth, made me think those days are still with us, even if only in the, make-me-rich-quick, attitudes of the facebook generation.

But, here is the other half: The real answer to entrepreneurship is necessity. We have reached the threshold of necessity and many people are finding entrepreneurship in order to survive, not because they enjoy the risk and uncertainty.

The third stage will come when entrepreneurship becomes fashionable and youth begin aspiring to it - as a first choice. We shall need a few 'peer heroes' to make good on business before we can get there. But we shall get there.

Now if devolution can hasten this process.....