Council of Governors: We are ready to negotiate with State

Council of Governors Chair Isaac Rutto (left) flanked by Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya during a press conference in Nairobi

The Council of Governors (CoG) wants to negotiate with the Government over the referendum seeking to increase funds to counties.

Speaking during a fundraiser at the African Inland Church, in Bureti constituency, the council’s chairman Isaac Ruto, accompanied by Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), said governors were ready to negotiate with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration with the aim of arriving at an amicable solution.

“We understand the Government has huge responsibilities and we respect that. But what we are asking for is the money for the functions that the Constitution states have been devolved. We are ready to hold negotiations in a mutually respectful manner,” he said.

Speaking during the function also attended by senators Charles Keter (Kericho), Beatrice Elachi (nominated) and MPs Leonard Sang (Bureti) and Paul Bii (Chepalungu), the governors however said the overture would not stop them from going on with their referendum campaigns.

Oparanya said they believed Uhuru was committed to solving the impasse and that was why he had agreed to form a committee to look into their issues.

 DENOUNCE PUBLIC VOTE

Meanwhile, governors are to meet today to review their constitutional amendment campaign.

The forum in Naivasha would be on, among other issues, colleagues who have developed cold feet over the referendum and evaluating the proposal to dissolve crisis-struck Makueni County government.

Of concern to the governors would be whether the national government is ready to accept the demands and embrace political tolerance on the referendum debate which seeks to increase county allocation from 15 to 45 per cent of national revenue.

CoG Finance Committee Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said the decision to have a referendum on the issues affecting devolution, was agreed on by all the governors and anyone “singing a different tune is lying to the public”.

He said none of the governors opposing the referendum had ever come out in the public to denounce the issues being raised.

“We understand there are some governors who have left this initiative because of political pressure and we understand that. But there is no governor who has come out to say the issues CoG is raising are not pertinent,” said Abdullahi.

Abdullahi, who is also the Wajir governor, said county bosses agreed they would stick to the issues affecting and threatening devolution and removed political items. He added that the Government had not rejected their 10-point agenda.

“We all agree that there are issues and these issues will not disappear. We must engage on these items devoid of emotions and regional politics. CoG’s initiative is not based on any political agenda but the need to strengthen devolution. Even if we don’t have the referendum, these questions will not disappear,” said Abdullahi.

However, the chairperson hinted that if the national government would agree to negotiate with CoG on drafting a Bill that captures the aspiration of the county governments, there would be no need for the public vote.

Oparanya said issues revolving around the referendum would be at the core of deliberations during the meeting.

He said the meeting would ensure they came up with a plan on the public vote and review the status of the signature collection.

CoG Whip and Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka hinted that the CoG Secretariat structure would also come under scrutiny to decide whether to recruit more personnel in order to deliver on its mandate.

Lusaka said today’s meeting would among other things deliberate on reports by a select committee of four governors tasked with engaging the national government on the referendum push.

The four have been part of a committee selected to work with officials from the Ministry of Devolution and the National Treasury with a view to finding out if there are any funds retained by the National government that is supposed to be channeled to the County governments.

In a move seen as efforts to woo Bomet governor back to the fold, Keter said URP did not have any plans to kick out Ruto.