We don’t want to beg for money from governors, Members of County Assembly declare

Members of County Assembly now want independence for them to control county assembly accounts.

The MCAs under County Assemblies Forum (CAF) want control of their operations funds currently being managed by the Finance Executive members.

CAF wants the Finance Executive Members and Chief Officers to introduce a clerk who will manage the funds.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, the MCAs said governors were using the funds as a system to manipulate and control them.

CAF Chairman Nuh Nassir Abdi said governors have become imperial leaders who do not want transparency and accountability with county duties.

"We want to be able to make laws and decisions independently and not have to beg for money from governors," Abdi said.

The chairman said the MCAs do not want additional money as is the perception of many but want oversight of all county funds.

He said that the money allocated to them by the Commission of Revenue Allocation was enough to conduct their activities.

"People think that we want money so that we can go for trips but we want to be able to independently evaluate and monitor county officials as required by the constitution," Said Abdi.

The MCAs faulted the Council of Governors (COG) for failing to support them in the matter saying governors wanted monopoly in the counties.

Stephen Ngelu, a member of the forum said there is need for consultations with other members of the COG on important issues.

"COG is not a one person group, a meeting should be done in consultations with other governors when there are matters of grave importance," Ngelu said.

He accused governors of using county funds for personal gains.

"County funds are being misused by specific individuals who want to manipulate county assemblies to dance to their tune," said Ngelu.

The MCAs have declined to execute the internet banking system citing it as a waste of time and resources if the funds will not be under their control.

The Internet Banking System will hold county assemblies' recurrent expenditures.

COG Chairman Peter Munya in an interview said a change in control of county funds would increase reckless expenditure without clear management structures, as county assemblies will not need any permission from the executive to spend.

Munya wants county executives to remain in control of the entire revenue basket for the counties and share out to all entities as dictated by the counties' approved budget.

"The County Treasury headed by County Executive Finance should remain the overall accounting office for all county finances as provided for in the PFM Act Section 104," Munya wrote in his letter dated July 2, 2015.