The Council of Governors (CoG) is the umbrella body representing Kenya’s 47 county governments, providing strategic leadership on devolution, intergovernmental relations, policy coordination, and county development priorities. As the collective voice of county governments, CoG plays a critical role in ensuring that local perspectives shape national policies and development agendas.
VNG International has established a strong partnership with CoG to strengthen county governance systems, enhance intergovernmental coordination, and promote inclusive service delivery across Kenya. Through a formal cooperation framework, the partnership leverages CoG’s leadership, convening power, and coordination role to support counties in building institutional capacity, strengthening local governance, fostering peer learning, and advancing locally led development solutions that respond to county priorities and development needs.
Our collaboration is rooted in a shared ambition: to place counties at the centre of inclusive governance. As Kenya transitions from humanitarian to government-led refugee management, counties must be fully empowered and engaged to lead. In this transition, counties are not just stakeholders but key actors.
Creating space for dialogue and learning
The partnership has created important platforms for dialogue, learning, and collaboration among county governments, national institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders. A good example was the recent breakfast meeting, where CoG leadership and the technical committees came together to discuss the evolving refugee governance landscape and what it means for counties. The discussions highlighted practical actions needed to strengthen county leadership, including clearer mandates, improved financing mechanisms, better access to data, and stronger coordination structures.
Building momentum at the Devolution Conference
We saw similar momentum during the 9th Devolution Conference in 2025, Kenya’s premier governance forum, where, for the first time, refugee inclusion was part of the official agenda. Together with partners, we organised a side event focused on strengthening cooperation between national and county governments, as well as other stakeholders. It was encouraging to see such a broad group, from government actors to refugee-led organisations, come together to shape the way forward.
What stood out in these conversations was how important collaboration really is. Making refugee management more inclusive and sustainable is not something that can be done alone. It requires counties to be equipped and empowered.
These moments show what our partnership with CoG is about in practice: creating space for dialogue, connecting different levels of government, and working towards solutions that are grounded at the local level. That is exactly why we value this partnership so much!
