Ruto Orders Transfer of Remaining County Functions From National Govt to County Govt In 60 Days
President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that all remaining devolved functions being managed by the national government will be transferred to county governments within sixty days.
Ruto announced at the Devolution Conference in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, that the national government, a transition committee, and all stakeholders had reached an agreement on the transfer of functions.
The President announced that an analysis of the funding that will accompany the transfer of these functions is currently underway.
According to reports, we will be able to delegate all remaining functions to our counties within the next sixty days.
The President disclosed that the additional functions being devolved will not place a financial burden on the counties, as his administration will continue to disburse funds on time.
He clarified that he was a firm believer in devolution and had promised the chair of the Council of Governors (CoG) that he would make every effort to adhere to the deadlines for disbursing money owed to counties.
The Kenyan constitution specifies fourteen devolved functions. Included among these are Agriculture, County Health Services, Pollution Control, Cultural and Entertainment Activities, and County Transportation.
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Other responsibilities include animal control and welfare, trade development, county planning, pre-primary education, county public works and services, and firefighting and emergency management.
County governments are also required to supervise the implementation of specific national government policies on natural resources, drug control, and pornography, and to assure and coordinate the participation of communities and locations in governance.
The Council of Governors requested in October 2022 that all heath functions be decentralized.
At the time, the CoG accused the federal government of concealing funds intended for county-level health services.
In December 2022, County Governors led by the Governor of Nyeri, Mutahi Kahiga, requested that Ruto expedite the release of all pending devolved functions to counties.
Ruto assured county governments that the national government would release billions of dollars held by the Treasury for mining-rich counties.
The President was reiterating a pledge made by his government in November 2022, namely that his administration would enact the Mining Act of 2016, which stipulates a 70:20:10 revenue split between the national government, the county government, and communities living in mining areas.
Ruto Orders Transfer of Remaining County Functions From National Govt to County Govt In 60 Days
