Raila’s Warning: State Plotting to Strangle Devolution by Stripping County Governments of Funds
Raila Odinga, the leader of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya. Has alleged that the Kenya Kwanza administration is conspiring to starve devolution by depriving county governments of funds.
This is even though Vice President Rigathi Gachagua announced on Monday. That the Treasury will release Sh33.3 billion in April allocations. To counties by Friday, and Sh31.4 billion in May allocations on June 19.
Counties are owed Sh94 billion for April, May, and June. And Mr. Odinga now views this as a deliberate attempt by the national government to deny them funds. And assume their responsibilities.
Mr. Odinga stated, “This government is attempting to stifle devolution because, if they claim they inherited empty coffers, there were never any delays and the regime of Uhuru Kenyatta was collecting taxes from the people of Kenya up until August of last year.”
The ODM leader stated at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation. That the former regime was able to transfer funds to counties and serve other sectors without a hitch.
“What has transpired since then to cause this critical problem? Mr. Odinga believes there is a concerted effort to assume some of the functions performed by county governments. “This regime does not meet the expectations of Kenyans, and we will tell Kenyans what to do,” he said.
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DP Gachagua, speaking on Monday after presiding over the 20th meeting of the Intergovernmental Budget Economic Council (IBEC) at his Karen residence. Acknowledged that the Treasury was experiencing financial strain but expressed confidence that the allocations would be met.
“We have explained to the governors the strains that the Treasury is experiencing in terms of the exchequer, and they have accepted our explanation,” he said.
Yesterday, Azimio co-principal Eugene Wamalwa. Who served as a Devolution Cabinet Secretary under the previous regime. Stated that President Ruto has been opposed to devolution from the beginning.
He cited Dr. Ruto’s opposition to the 2010 Constitution, which established devolution. As well as his opposition to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which sought to increase devolved unit funding from 15% to 35%.
“I do not believe that the current administration supports decentralization. As you are aware, those in power now oppose the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, and even when we wanted to increase county funding through the BBI from 15% to 35%, the team opposed us, Mr. Wamalwa revealed to GossipA2Z. He continued, “As soon as they were sworn in, their first act was to abolish the Ministry of Devolution. They reduced it from a Ministry to a State Department as an afterthought because, in the original list of more than 50 State departments and PSs, devolution was not included and was only added after governors raised an uproar.
But Council of Governors chair Anne Waiguru, the pioneering Devolution Cabinet Secretary. Insisted that the Ministry was only necessary at the beginning of devolution.
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“A cabinet minister who oversees intergovernmental relations was required. This issue is so crucial that it must always be owned by the cabinet, and it is now owned by an even higher office, the Vice President, according to Ms. Waiguru.
Mr. Wamalwa, however, remarked, “Clearly this regime is not pro-devolution; just like the previous Kanu regime, which eliminated devolution at independence, they have starved the regions of financial resources, just as this regime is doing to the counties.”
When counties are cash-strapped, it hinders their ability to implement County Integrated Development Plans, he explained. Thus, county governments are now subject to overdrafts by banks with extremely high-interest rates, leaving them with very few funds.
Mr. Wamalwa added, “The Kenya Kwanza government is opposed to devolution and is determined to kill it, just as the Kanu regime did at independence unless Kenyans remain vigilant and fight for devolution.”
Raila’s Warning: State Plotting to Strangle Devolution by Stripping County Governments of Funds
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