Devolution Conference
Major intergovernmental conference on Kenya’s devolved system of government — hosts, venues and official themes since 2014.
Convened under the Council of Governors (CoG) with national government, county governments and partners. Public access and programmes are set for each edition.
After the 2021 event, the Council of Governors moved away from an annual format. The conference is intended to take place about once every two years so counties have more time to implement resolutions. The next conference after the 9th (August 2025) would typically fall in 2027; a host county, venue and theme have not been announced in the sources used for this page.
Past conferences
Most recent first.
| Edition | Dates | Host county | Venue | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th | 12–15 August 2025 | Homa Bay | Homa Bay High School | For the People, For Prosperity: Devolution as a Catalyst for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice |
| 8th | 15–19 August 2023 | Uasin Gishu | Eldoret Sports Club | 10 Years of Devolution: The Past, Present and The Future |
| 7th | 23–26 November 2021 | Makueni | Makueni Boys High School | Multi-Level Governance for Climate Action |
| 6th | 4–8 March 2019 | Kirinyaga | Kirinyaga University | Deliver. Transform. Measure. Remaining Accountable |
| 5th | 23–27 April 2018 | Kakamega | Kakamega High School | Sustainable, productive, effective and efficient governments for results delivery |
| 4th | 6–9 March 2017 | Nakuru | Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute (KWSTI), Naivasha | Devolution Transforming Lives: Tell Your Story! |
| 3rd | 19–23 April 2016 | Meru | Meru National Polytechnic | The Promise of Devolution: Consolidating the Gains after Transition and Looking into the Future |
| 2nd | 21–24 April 2015 | Kisumu | Tom Mboya Labour College | Appreciating the Gains, Assessing the Challenges and Navigating the Future of Devolution |
| 1st | 3–4 April 2014 | Kwale | Leisure Lodge Resort, Diani | One Year into Devolution: Celebrating the Milestones, Confronting the Challenges and Re-affirming our Commitment to Devolution |
Key historical transitions
2020 hiatus
No Devolution Conference took place in 2020 because of public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. That pushed the 7th edition to late 2021.
Shift to a biennial cycle
After the 2021 event, the Council of Governors moved away from an annual format. The conference is intended to take place about once every two years so counties have more time to implement resolutions. The next conference after the 9th (August 2025) would typically fall in 2027; a host county, venue and theme have not been announced in the sources used for this page.
Related
- Devolution Sensitisation Week
- Devolution
- County vs national government
- Chapter 11 — Devolved government
- All national events
Published: 15 July 2026 • Last updated: 15 July 2026
This information is regularly reviewed to ensure accuracy.