ATWOLI CALLS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES TO RETURN KEY FUNCTIONS TO NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has called for constitutional amendments that would transfer some key responsibilities currently handled by county governments back to the national government.
Atwoli argued that functions such as healthcare and aspects of land management require stronger coordination at the national level to improve service delivery and address challenges affecting Kenyans.
The veteran trade unionist raised concerns about the management of healthcare services by county governments, pointing to recurring disputes involving health workers and challenges in the provision of medical services.
According to Atwoli, returning healthcare management to the national government could help streamline the sector, improve coordination and ensure resources are distributed more effectively across the country.
He also spoke about land management, expressing concern over the changing use of agricultural land and the need for stronger oversight to protect the country’s food security.
Atwoli's proposal would require changes to Kenya's constitutional framework, which established devolution and assigned specific functions to both national and county governments.
Under the current Constitution, counties are responsible for county health services, while the national government retains responsibilities including health policy and national referral hospitals. Land-related responsibilities are similarly distributed among different levels and institutions of government.
Atwoli's remarks have therefore reignited the wider debate on whether some functions should be transferred between the two levels of government to improve efficiency and service delivery.
For now, his proposal remains a call for constitutional reform, rather than an approved government policy or an implemented change to the existing division of functions.