Detectives from the Ethics and Anti- corruption Commission (EACC) are investigating alleged past corrupt practices at the defunct Narok County Council and swooped on the council immediately after suspension of the civic body clerk. This followed allegations of misuse of millions of shillings.
For a county said to be raking in billions of shillings annually from markets and tourism from Maasai Mara Game Reserve, it appeared strange that the third richest county council after Nairobi and Mombasa was unable to pay its workers and suppliers in time and relied heavily on bank overdrafts to meet its overheads.
Talk was rife during the change-over to county governments that most local authorities were hopelessly broke, mired in high-octane corruption, systematic disposal of council assets and steeped in a shocking swamp of nepotism and cronyism.
So, this is not just about Narok, but is a scenario replicated right across the country. Most County Assemblies now find themselves in paralysis as coffers they inherited are not only empty, but owe significant debt and have structural flaws that enhance inefficiencies in their day-to-day operations.
That is why, they are all staring towards central government to see how much will be allocated for operations. Sadly, a good chunk of it might go into meeting recurrent expenditure like paying salaries and bog the new counties in want.
Various media and publics have decried the bloated public sector wage bill, terming it unsustainable. Indeed, to address this, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) published a new pay structure for State officers that saw members of County Assemblies earn a monthly salary of Sh79,200, and house, committal and sitting allowances.
But the members countrywide, have rejected the new pay from Mombasa to Nyamira, Baringo, Garissa, Meru, Nyandarua, Isiolo, and Kisii, just to name a few. The County Assembly representatives have adjourned and paralysed operations protesting against the Sarah Serem-led commission over “unpaid and meager” allowances.
In many places, they have demanded that the commission review their perks to at least Sh350,000, as well as allowances enjoyed by MPs like the grants to buy cars. Regrettably, none of the county representatives have give a thought to the fact that the new Constitution emphasizes on sovereignty of the people and servant leadership, and that Kenyans need nothing short of service delivery. Or even the fact that one has to bake a cake before demanding a slice of it; water the tree in order to enjoy fruits that will no doubt dangle forth soon.
That is also the overriding message from the Public Service Transformation Secretariat. However almost all the successful aspirants in the last general election have taken it upon themselves to demand higher remuneration before they lay a finger on anything else.
Do Kenyans need an urgent national conversation on whether this is what drove the glossy manifestos, loud and sometimes acrimonious campaigns. Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli had a prominition that demands for higher perks will follow the demands by MPs in Parliament Buildings much like the flood waters raging across the country. A country mourns.
