By James Okoth
Kisumu County has scored 50 per cent in the ongoing County Peer Review Mechanism (CPRM), placing it among the better-performing counties in a citizen-led assessment of governance and service delivery.
The score emerged during the third phase of the CPRM process, which seeks to validate findings collected from citizens through Focus Group Discussions conducted across wards between May and July 2026.
The exercise, spearheaded by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) through the domesticated County Peer Review Mechanism, brings together citizens and other stakeholders to assess how county governments are performing in delivering devolved functions.
Ambassador Rukia Subu, who is leading the validation process, said the assessment covers 14 thematic areas, with the current phase intended to verify whether the findings and ratings obtained from citizens accurately reflect the situation on the ground.
“We now want to verify the findings and ratings,” Subu said, noting that the assessment is based on the views of ordinary citizens.
She said Kisumu’s 50 per cent rating places the county among the best-performing counties assessed so far.
“Health is healthy,” Subu said, highlighting the positive assessment emerging from the health sector.
Importantly, the ratings are not determined solely by government officials or external assessors. Instead, citizens who participated in the process provide the assessment based on their experiences with county services.
The validation meetings, therefore, provide an opportunity for participants to interrogate the preliminary findings, provide additional information, and correct any areas they believe do not accurately represent realities within their communities.
The process brings together representatives of women, youth, boda boda operators, faith-based organisations, civil society organisations, traders, artisans, persons with disabilities, academia, farmers, and pastoralists, among other groups.
Court Users Committees and Nyumba Kumi representatives are also part of the process, creating a broad platform for citizens to assess governance from different perspectives.
The chairperson, Sospeter Ojamong, said the organisation has been engaging citizens for some time to collect information on how they perceive governance and service delivery in their counties.
“We have been here for a while collecting information from the public on how they are governed,” he said.
He explained that the exercise is designed to strengthen accountability by giving citizens an opportunity to directly provide feedback on the performance of both levels of government.
The County Peer Review Mechanism is a domesticated version of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), an initiative established by African heads of state and government to promote good governance, accountability, and development.
At the county level, the mechanism provides a structured platform through which wananchi can give feedback on the performance of governors and county administrations.
According to the NEPAD representatives, the feedback is expected to help both county and national governments identify gaps in service delivery and improve planning and policy implementation.
The initiative is voluntary, with Kisumu County having agreed to participate in the assessment.
The current validation phase follows the completion of ward-level Focus Group Discussions. Two participants from each ward who took part in the earlier discussions are being targeted for the sub-county validation forums.
The participants are expected to review the preliminary findings, challenge or confirm the information gathered, and propose recommendations for improving governance and service delivery.
The process is intended to ensure that the final CPRM reports do not merely present statistics but capture the lived experiences of residents.
Kisumu Governor Professor Anyang’ Nyong’o welcomed the assessment while cautioning that achieving a 50 per cent rating through a citizen-driven evaluation should not be taken lightly.
“Not easy to get 50%!” Nyong’o said.
The governor’s remarks underscore the significance of the rating, particularly because the assessment is based on citizens’ perceptions across the county’s 14 thematic areas.
The CPRM process is anchored on peer learning, mutual accountability, and inclusive dialogue. It seeks not only to identify weaknesses but also to document areas where counties are making progress and share lessons that can be replicated elsewhere.
For Kisumu, the 50 per cent score provides both recognition and a challenge. While the county has been ranked among the better performers, the assessment also offers an opportunity to identify areas requiring improvement before the final report is adopted.
The validation exercise is expected to produce a county review report incorporating grassroots feedback and recommendations on governance and service delivery.
Once the county-level validation exercises are completed, the findings will feed into a peer review conference expected to bring together governors and other stakeholders in Nairobi.
The conference will provide an opportunity for counties to compare their experiences, learn from one another, and discuss measures for strengthening devolved governance.
The validation exercise is being conducted between August 24 and September 4, 2026, across eight counties—Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Meru, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kilifi, and Kitui.
For citizens participating in the Kisumu process, the exercise represents a rare opportunity to move beyond being recipients of public services to becoming active participants in evaluating how those services are delivered.
And with Kisumu recording a 50 per cent rating across 14 thematic areas, the final report will be closely watched to establish what the county is doing right, where it is falling short, and what citizens expect to see improved.
