THE DAILY NOTION THAT MUST STOP AT DAILY NATION NEWSPAPER.

The Daily Nation edition of Friday, August 7, 2026, carried a prominent headline titled “Best and Worst Governors,” attributed to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). 

The ranking has since been used by Governor Barasa’s opponents, including Oparanya sympathisers, to advance a narrative in funerals and other political meetings that Governor Barasa is a non-performer. However, the figures and realities on the ground require a closer and more balanced examination.

COOPERATION Between the Kakamega County Governor and President William Ruto has seen tramendous change in completion of stalled mega projects. 

The scorecard assessed county governments using several indicators, including pending bills, development expenditure, Own-Source Revenue (OSR), corruption and accountability, project completion, budget implementation, budget absorption, financial management and transparency. 

While these are important aspects of county administration, they do not, on their own, provide a complete picture of development delivered to citizens. In particular, inherited financial obligations and structural challenges should be distinguished from the performance of the administration currently in office.

On pending bills, Governor Barasa inherited substantial financial obligations from the previous administration, including commitments relating to *Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega Level 6 Referral Hospital, Shamakhubu Hospital, Tumbeni Dairy Plant, Navakholo Forest–Chebuyusi Road, Matungu–Ogalo Road, Khukolomi–Eregi Road, and markets including Koyonzo, Shibinga and Shiatsala*, among others. 

Despite these obligations, the projects have not simply been abandoned. Works have continued, while other projects initiated under the Barasa administration have also been completed. Using the existence of pending bills without distinguishing between *inherited liabilities and obligations created by the current administration* risks placing the burden of past financial decisions entirely on the current Governor.

The development expenditure score also requires context. When Governor Barasa assumed office, the County’s wage bill stood at approximately *44 per cent*, against the recommended threshold of 35 per cent. It remains at about 43 per cent. This means that a significant proportion of the County’s resources is consumed by recurrent expenditure, leaving limited fiscal space for development. Any assessment of development spending must therefore consider the fiscal position inherited by the current administration and the measures being taken to manage it.

On Own-Source Revenue, Governor Barasa has been implementing reforms aimed at improving revenue collection and expanding the County’s capacity to finance its own programmes. The objective is to increase locally generated resources to supplement national transfers and create more fiscal space for development. OSR performance should therefore be examined through the *trend in collections, revenue reforms and the additional fiscal space created*, rather than treating a single financial indicator in isolation.

Most importantly, the people of Kakamega experience government through *projects and services, not rankings*. Across the county, the Barasa administration has continued to invest in health, education, roads, water, markets and sports. 

Health facilities are being upgraded, ECDE centres constructed, roads improved, bridges and box culverts built, markets developed and water infrastructure expanded. Several projects have been completed, while others are at various stages of implementation.

The County Assembly’s expenditure should also be distinguished from that of the County Executive. The Governor does not control Assembly expenditure, which is managed through the Assembly’s own institutional structures under the Speaker. It should therefore not be used as a direct measure of the Governor’s performance.

The inclusion of *budget absorption* as a measure also requires careful interpretation. Absorption indicates the extent to which allocated funds have been utilised. It does not, on its own, demonstrate whether a project has