Governors accuse State of rigidity in talks on functions to be devolved

By ROSELYNE OBALA

The government is yet to broker a deal with governors on functions to be transferred to the counties after talks between the county chiefs and cabinet secretaries collapsed.

The Tuesday meeting between governors and cabinet secretaries Anne Waiguru (Devolution), James Macharia (Health) and Michael Kamau (Transport and Infrastructure) failed to reach a compromise on the contentious functions assigned to counties.

The stalemate comes barely a day after Deputy President William Ruto held talks with more than 20 Jubilee governors to discuss the matter that has seen the latter plan to collect a million signatures to push for a referendum on Constitution amendments.

The governors said they will continue to engage President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto to ensure the 14-functions list in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution are devolved.

The governors present at the meeting expressed displeasure with the conduct of the cabinet secretaries whom they admitted seemed not committal to devolving the functions.

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Led by Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto, the governors discussed among other matters, roads, cereals and health.

“We wanted to take stock of what equipment we have for public works,” they said.

They are also against a move to revert Sh29 billion meant for roads in the Sh210 billion county allocation back to national government.

The Ministry of Transport has classified roads as public, county and ferry transport. The ministry says, “The legislation to identify county roads is not in place. Current laws governing road management like the Kenya Roads Board Act of 1999 and the Roads Act of 2007 are not yet repealed.”

What law says

And Ruto said, “The Constitution stipulates that counties should develop county specific laws on roads.”

The health sector might be the first to feel the heat if doctors make good their threat to go on strike to press for salaries reportedly held over devolution uncertainty.

On Monday, the doctors’ union asked Kenyans to prepare to do without their services in public hospitals from next week over the pay row.

The Transition Authority has said it is waiting for county governments to apply for the functions before they are scrutinised and assigned.