Governors Threaten To Shut Down Counties In 2 Weeks Over Ksh94B Funds
The governors noted that the Treasury is yet to disburse a total of Ksh94.35 billion in an unprecedented four-month delay...
Marvin Chege 
The Council of Governors (COG) led by chairperson, Anne Waiguru, has given the government 14 days to disburse funds for February, March and April or they shut down counties.
The COG in a statement on Monday, April 24 gave the National Treasury two weeks to release the pending funds owed to county governments without delay.
The governors noted that the Treasury is yet to disburse a total of Ksh94.35 billion in an unprecedented four-month delay that also goes against the meeting President William Ruto held with the county bosses in Naivasha, an amount broken down into Ksh31.45 billion for February, Ksh29.6 billion for March and Ksh22.2 billion for April.
“The Four-month delay is unprecedented in the history of devolution and negates the spirit of the meeting held in Naivasha between His Excellency The President and the Governors.
Council of Governors during their media address on April 24, 2023. /TWITTER
“We, therefore, call upon the CS National Treasury to immediately release the Ksh.94.35 billion owed to County Governments without any further delay. By dint of this, the Council of Governors hereby issues a 14 days' notice to shut down counties if February, March and April arrears are not released within two weeks,” read the statement in part.
The COG also warned Kenyans of disruptions in service delivery should the Treasury fail to deliver the funds within the stipulated deadline.
“We also notify the citizens of Kenya that due to the failure of the National Treasury to disburse the funds, County Governments will not be able to deliver services as expected,” the statement added.
The ultimatum follows a reported paralysis of operations in a majority of counties following the delayed disbursement of funds from the National Treasury.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, who appeared before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, on Thursday, April 6, claimed that the Treasury owed county governments about Ksh96 billion arrears accrued from January 2023.
The governors had decried the dire situation expressing fear of the possibility of strikes by county staff over delayed salaries.
“At the moment counties are on their knees because we’re not only missing money to pay salaries but we’re also missing money to buy commodities and also missing money to support systems that support health,” Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki divulged on the current situation.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati added: “Possibly if there is no money three-four months down the line, what do you expect? You have no money you can’t pay salaries, people will down their tools and walk home.”
The Governors added that they were forced to suspend development expenditure as they sought alternative ways to get money to run the counties and pay salaries, with some opting to go for costly bank loans.
“It’s a big problem because in January I had to borrow, for February I had to recycle again to pay the loan and borrow,” Nyamira’s Amos Nyaribo said.
“We rendered services in December for which we had not been given money, January February and March,” Migori Governor Ochillo Ayako added.
The financial crisis across all counties continues to worsen as the devolved units risk entering the fifth month without their monthly disbursement from the exchequer, the longest time the devolved units have gone without receiving cash from the National Treasury, a situation that has affected critical services and payment of salaries.
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina on Wednesday, April 12 warned of a scenario whereby nurses, doctors, contractors and civil servants as a whole would protest owing to the ongoing salary crisis consisting of stalemates and late payments that have generated debate between the opposition and the government.
The salary crisis that has hit government institutions across the board struck the nerve of the medics, with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) giving the government seven days ultimatum to disburse the funds, failure to which health workers should not report to work.
Public health services were thereafter paralysed in four counties following a doctors' strike in the devolved units, with medics in Vihiga, Bomet, Kisumu and Nyamira counties downing tools on Wednesday, April 19, protesting salary delays and employers failing to remit statutory deductions.
KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah during a past media address. /FILE
