Nominations close 30 September 2026 (76 days left) free & transparent process

About ACOA

The Annual Chief Officers Awards — County Devolution Excellence Awards

Our Mission

To identify, verify and celebrate outstanding County Chief Officers and county departments through an independent, transparent and corruption-proof national awards framework that advances the goals of devolution.

Our Vision

A Kenya where county government leadership is recognised, benchmarked and strengthened through credible, evidence-based performance excellence.

Core Values

Integrity

No payment, sponsorship or personal relationship shall influence adjudication outcomes.

Evidence over assertion

Every award decision is traceable to verifiable public records.

Transparency

Criteria, process and scorecards are published, not hidden.

Devolution first

The framework exists to strengthen county service delivery, not merely to stage an event.

Fish, not handouts

Recognition is earned through demonstrated capability, consistent with the guiding philosophy "Don't give me fish — teach me to fish."

Background & Rationale

County Chief Officers occupy a demanding accountability position: they are the accounting and administrative link between County Executive Committee Members' policy direction and the technical departments that deliver services to citizens.

Nine years into devolution, performance across counties remains uneven, and there is no independent, trusted national mechanism that consistently identifies and celebrates Chief Officers who have driven genuine improvements in public finance management, service delivery, audit compliance, human resource management or innovation.

Given Synchro Pamoja's civic mobilisation mandate and ACCO Kenya's direct institutional credibility — its Chairperson having served as the inaugural Chief Officer for Trade, Tourism, Industries and Investment in Nakuru County — ACOA is well placed to set a different standard: a devolution-focused awards framework built on verifiable public data, independent adjudication and transparent process.