CoG calls for public participation in transfer of Nairobi County functions

The Council of Governors has called for public participation in the transfer of functions of the Nairobi County to the national government.

In a statement issued by the CoG Chair, the Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, the council says it supports the move because it will solve the leadership crisis in the county which the country’s capital.

Oparanya (pictured) has said that the council is hopeful that the change of leadership will not yield confusion and alteration of seamless operations at the county.

“We hope that there will be no confusion in the public and we would like to clarify that despite the transfer, the Constitutional responsibility for the performance of the functions still remains with the Nairobi County Government,” CoG statement partly reads.

The Council has however urged for public participation arguing that the law as stipulated for such handing over should be followed.

It states: “As a Council, we note that the public needs to be intimately involved in the exercise as public participation is a cardinal principle spelt out under Article 10(2)(a) and 196(1)(b) of the Constitution.”

“The same has further been enshrined under section 29 of the Intergovernmental Relations Act which provides that the County Assembly needs to be notified of the decision to allow the Assembly to deliberate on the same.”

The CoG has also proposed a formulation of the multilevel committee between Nairobi County and the Central government to oversee the process of transferring the functions.

“We propose that a Multi-agency committee comprising of both levels of Government be formed to monitor implementation of the functions that have been transferred and the functions that have remained with the County,” it says.

Yesterday, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and President Uhuru Kenyatta signed a Deed of transfer of functions at State House, Nairobi, paving way for the national government to take up some of the functions of the county government.

It stipulates that national government will take over functions such as County health services, County transport services, County public works, utilities and ancillary services; and County Government planning and development.

On Wednesday, the government gazetted the takeover and urged Nairobi residents to submit their views before March 6, when the period for public participation is expected to elapse.

Governor Sonko is battling multiple corruption-related charges such as abuse of office, breaching public procurement laws and procedures, conspiracy to defraud among many others.

Sonko, who at the time of being arraigned had not picked a deputy has been barred from office. This has resulted in leadership crisis prompting the takeover of some executive functions by the national government.