Governors Convene Crisis Meeting as Territory Wars with National Government Escalate
Following the announcement of a deadlock in the negotiations over revenue sharing between the county and national governments, the Council of Governors has initiated another series of protests, alleging that the National Government is encroaching upon the responsibilities of decentralized units.
In a letter composed by Mary Mwiti, the CEO of the Council, the governors expressed their concern about the increasing neglect of the constitutional responsibilities assigned to counties. They pointed out that the national government is channeling funds directly to counties through ministries and departments to support decentralized functions. Additionally, the use of members of parliament to initiate projects is causing disorder within the devolved units, as stated by the council.
The previous week, Governors failed to disburse stipends to community health promoters. This event took place at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s residence in Karen, Nairobi.
The incident reportedly unsettled county leaders, leading them to suggest allocating 3 billion shillings in conditional grants to counties. The funds would be used to support the payment of stipends to community health promoters.
Governors have consistently asserted that the responsibility for health lies within the domain of devolved functions, and resources should be distributed in alignment with this principle.
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One of the topics scheduled for discussion in the Thursday meeting includes the execution of the affordable housing program.
The governors sense exclusion from this initiative, as the federal government solely approaches them for the land required for the construction of these housing units.
Additional topics on the agenda involve the execution of a market development initiative, alongside health-related matters such as the effects of the approved three health acts on counties and the allocation of Danida County government funds.
Governors have previously disagreed with the central government on various matters, including education. They objected to the Ministry of Education’s proposal to have primary school principals oversee early childhood development and education centers (ECDEs).
The tension and dynamic interaction between the national government and the 47 devolved units have persisted since the introduction of devolution. The national government is often criticized for neglecting to acknowledge the delegated functions and roles of these devolved units.
Governors Convene Crisis Meeting as Territory Wars with National Government Escalate
