Government using deceitful means to kill devolution, governors say

Governors Isaac Ruto, Peter Munya and Moses Akaranga consult each other during the governor’s wife road-race at Mbale grounds in Vihiga County. The CoG members say they are considering quitting the use of IFMIS as it is used to sabotage county governments’ functions. [PHOTO: ERIC LUNGAI/STANDARD]

The Council of Governors (CoG) has accused the National Government of sabotaging activities in the counties by failing to transfer county functions, delays in funds remittance among other tactics.

Speaking in Vihiga yesterday, CoG Chairman Peter Munya singled out the use of Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS) as one of the strategies by the Jubilee Government to disrupt county functions.

"Roads, Health and Education have not been fully devolved, yet the National Government is still playing games with us. May and June 2015 funds are yet to be released to the counties as the 2014/15 financial year ends, implying they can only access the funds in August 2015," said the Meru governor.

The CoG said they are now considering quitting using IFMIS for their financial management in counties due to consistent sabotage by the National Government and the Treasury.

Mr Munya, who was in the company of other governors, including Isaac Ruto (Bomet) and Moses Akaranga(Vihiga) said they will instead employ a new way to manage their funds in county governments. They termed IFMIS as a scandalous tool used by the State to kill devolution discretely.

"For the next two months, county government services will come to a halt. It is very deceitful for the national government to continue holding onto money meant for counties, and then release it towards end of the financial year, knowing very well that governors will not be able to use it," said Munya.

The COG chairperson said IFMIS operations in some counties have already come to a halt, and may not be in operation for the next two months.

"We cannot claim that we are running our operations independently when the national government still has to give us money in dosages like medicine from Nairobi. CoG is thinking of a new system that will be used to manage it's resources," said Munya.

 DEVOLUTION SUCCESSES

While emphasising how devolution has helped many regions to open up to development, the leaders said time has come when the country should focus more on collective development in all counties, other than lining up basing on people's tribes.

"Supposing devolution had been introduced several years ago, imagine where the country would be now? County governments have only been in power for two years, and yet people on the ground can associate with some development," Mr Ruto said.

Governor Akaranga noted that people have tested the fruits of devolution at the grass roots, and are not ready to welcome anybody vouching to 'kill' county governments.

The leaders spoke at Mbale grounds in Vihiga County during a road-race organised by the governor's wife to raise funds to support maternal healthcare in the region. Mrs Akaranga expressed worry that mothers were still dying while giving birth.