This is actually a better suggestion. DIALOGUE. Not tear gas everyday. They could also be reduced, but scrapping them to me sounds too radical a choice.

Rwanda runs a system that's county-based like ours. Headed by a mayor. Even ours should work

Protests in Bomet over increased taxes

@Washiku have you visited the city council for trading license this year?

Everything that is happening at the counties including these protests is normal and proper. These are the teething problems of devolution and they will further the cement the concept of devolution in the general population. Governance has come close to the people and they are seeing the consequences of their actions.

When we had a central government many people voted for an MP and then a government was formed in Nairobi which made decisions about them. The government was so far away that to most people there was no difference between being ruled from Nairobi and being ruled from London during the colonial days.

Now the decisions to spend money is being made at the local level. Different counties will have different priorities and will allocate money differently but what I love about this system is that the object of the peoples anger is not an unknown or unreachable minister or president but one of their own. When a budget is passed to build a Mausoleum to Moses Budamba it is passed by the County Assembly who is akina baba fulani wa pale kwa kina nani...... they are local people who the people can reach out to and protest. The Governor cannot go and hide in Nairobi. He is right there in the county.

I hope governors are having sleepless nights, I hope they find people with problems every day at their offices.......... it is healthy that county leaders are getting immediate reaction to their decisions, when Kakamega decides to tax chicken outcry ni papo hapo.... when Mutua decides to tax boda boda operators he hears it from them immediately...... I like it that after market protests the Nakuru governor called for consultations with the public. It is not going to be pretty but this is what being involved in government is.

Eventually governors and County representatives will come to the realisation that their best defence is good laws that are fairly, firmly and equitably enforced.