NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 — Governors Wavinya Ndeti of Machakos, Kimani Wamatangi of Kiambu, Irungu Kang’ata of Murang’a, Ochilo Ayacko of Migori, George Natembeya of Trans Nzoia and Isaac Mutuma of Meru have emerged among the top performers in Timely Kenya’s fourth-year devolution scorecard, which found that 55.9 per cent of respondents believe devolution is working.
The survey, The Devolution Scorecard: Four Years Since the 2022 Election, assessed public perceptions of county government performance across five devolved sectors: water, health, social and economic empowerment, education and agriculture.
Ndeti topped the governors’ rankings with a score of 68 per cent, followed by Wamatangi at 67.8 per cent and Kang’ata at 64.4 per cent.
Natembeya scored 61 per cent, while Ayacko recorded 58.4 per cent. Mutuma also featured among the leading governors, with a score of approximately 58 per cent.
The findings offer a snapshot of how residents rate county leadership and service delivery four years after the August 2022 General Election, although the scores reflect public perceptions rather than an independent audit of county projects or expenditure.
Mixed verdict on devolution
Despite the strong performance ratings for some county chiefs, the survey found that public opinion on devolution remains divided.
While 55.9 per cent of respondents said devolution was working, 39 per cent said it was not. Three per cent were unsure, while smaller proportions said they did not know or did not care.
County roads, agriculture, water, sports and culture, and social empowerment were identified among the areas where devolution had made an impact.
However, health, education and job creation emerged as areas where county governments were perceived to be lagging.
The findings point to persistent concerns about the quality of essential public services, even as some counties receive relatively strong ratings for their overall performance.
Corruption and spending concerns
Respondents identified corruption, poor planning and prioritisation, wastage of public funds, inadequate oversight by county assemblies, delayed exchequer disbursements and low national allocations among the main challenges facing devolution.
The survey also found that 56.1 per cent of respondents believed health services should not remain under county governments, compared with 37.9 per cent who supported retaining the function at the county level.
The findings highlight public dissatisfaction with aspects of county health management, one of the most prominent responsibilities transferred to devolved governments under the 2010 Constitution.
Methodology
Timely Kenya interviewed 3,303 respondents across all 47 counties between September 21 and October 12, 2026, using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews.
The poll reported a 96.6 per cent survey success rate and a margin of error of plus or minus 1.67 percentage points. Sampling was weighted proportionally by population across counties, with 60 per cent of respondents drawn from rural areas and 40 per cent from county towns and cities.
Respondents rated county performance across five parameters on a scale of one to 10, with each point corresponding to 10 per cent.
The report also observed that first-term governors were generally perceived to be performing better than those serving second terms, while identifying health management and limited emphasis on early childhood development education as major concerns.