Governors Demand Ruto’s Release of Ksh300 Billion
The council of governors requests that President William Ruto release Ksh300 billion for recently devolved county functions.
Following a two-day retreat meeting in Masaai Mara, the governors, led by chairman Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and her deputy Ahmed Abdulahi (Wajir), expressed their displeasure on Thursday that the national government was continuing to hold the functions.
The governors referenced a report from the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) that revealed the line ministries were experiencing a delay in receiving the funds, which consequently had an impact on county operations.
“We have today, on the second day of reflection and realignment, arrived at resolutions and areas of focus for the next year. For devolution to succeed, we must now, as the two levels of government, together with our corresponding legislative arms, act on our commitments aligned with the Constitution,” Governor Anne Waiguru stated.
She further stated that the council was prepared to pursue court intervention if dialogue and other peaceful methods of resolving the dispute proved ineffective.
“The council has always embraced consultation, consensus, and cooperation but may have no option but to seek legal redress where there is deliberate slowing down or claw back on devolved functions.
“It’s been over 10 years now. It is time we have a complete transfer of devolved functions for effective service delivery to citizens who have so far only enjoyed the dividends of partial devolution,” she added.
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As a result, the governors desire the release of the funds in the supplementary budget, as Ruto promised in August 2023. Within sixty days, the chief of state has promised to supervise the transfer of all remaining devolved functions to county governments.
An additional concern expressed by the governors was the exorbitant cost of living, which they claimed was hurting county operations. They implored the President to devise additional strategies to assist Kenyans who are facing financial hardship.
Ahmed Abdulahi, the governor of Wajir, requested that the federal government reestablish a special Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) to deliberate on the issue of living expenses and devise a resolution involving both tiers of government.
In light of the Senate’s ruling to reverse the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, the governors have requested that two pieces of legislation establishing a robust impeachment procedure be expedited through Parliament.
Additionally, they cautioned that the existing impeachment threshold is susceptible to manipulation for personal gain.
“According to CoG chair and Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru, the pieces of legislation have a clear path for impeaching a governor, including the provision of not impeaching a governor 2 years into her administration and the last year does not give them room to deliver on their manifesto.
“The governors want the process tightened to be akin to that of recalling a member of Parliament,” a statement released by CoG added.
Governors Demand Ruto’s Release of Ksh300 Billion
