A storm is brewing between the Council of Governors (COG) and President William Ruto over what the county bosses describe as an attempt to undermine devolution through antagonism between Parliament and County Governments.
Speaking during the Second Kenya Devolution Support Program (KDSP) summit in Naivasha, several governors faulted the Head of State for using Parliament to unfairly target county governments under the guise of oversight, while turning a blind eye to graft in the national government.
COG Deputy Chair and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga led the charge, criticizing the President for allegedly shielding the national executive from scrutiny while governors remain under intense oversight from County Assemblies and the Senate.
“No one is more over-sighted in this country than governors,” said Kahiga. “But who oversights the rest of the officers? The President should be overseen by Parliament, but your guess is as good as mine they are in bed together.”
The governors’ frustrations are compounded by the delayed disbursement of funds to counties. Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki lamented that allocations from the national Treasury often reach counties just days before the financial year ends, making it nearly impossible to absorb the funds appropriately.
“The disbursement schedule hasn’t been sent to the Treasury by the Senate. When funds eventually arrive, the year is nearly over,” Njuki said, warning that this trend undermines service delivery.
Adding to the grievances, COG Chair and Mandera Governor Abdullahi Ahmed expressed dismay at the inefficiency in fund flow. He welcomed the World Bank’s decision to release support funds directly to counties to bypass national government delays.
The governors also decried the diminishing role of devolution within the national framework. Governor Kahiga noted that the former Ministry of Devolution has been downgraded to a department, signaling a lack of commitment to the devolution agenda.
“We need a fully-fledged ministry to stop wobbling and to move steadily towards realizing the true promise of devolution,” he said.
The arrest of Kiambu and Trans Nzoia governors over alleged graft has only intensified the debate, with COG warning against selective accountability that targets counties while national-level scandals go unchecked.
