Agency warns cartels against defunct local authorities’ assets

NAIROBI, KENYA: A state agency tasked with the coordination of the National Government and counties has come out fighting cartels with their eyes set on assets owned by the defunct local authorities.

The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC), the agency that took over the functions of the Transition Authority (TA) after the latter’s term expired, claims that there is a group of companies and individuals illegally intending to have a hand in the disposal of these assets without the committee’s approval.

In a notice signed by the committee’s Chairperson Allyce Kureiya, IGRTC has come out to strongly warn the shadowy firms and individuals against any attempt to lay their hands on the defunct local authorities’ assets and liabilities.

“It has been brought to our attention that there are individuals and firms purporting to have been authorised by IGRTC to undertake the identification, verification and validation of assets and liabilities of the defunct local authorities,” the notice read in part.

“Reference is hereby made to Gazette Notice No 2710 of March 24 2017 that established the legal and institutional framework for the verification and transfer of assets and liabilities of the defunct local authorities. The gazette notice established the County Assets and Liabilities Committees (CALCs) which were the only ones mandated to undertake the excise. No other entity has a mandate to handle these assets and liabilities.”

In March last year, the committee was required to verify all the liabilities amounting to Sh69 billion of the defunct authorities in consultation with relevant stakeholders, and then develop appropriate settlement options to guide the liquidation of these huge and ever growing liabilities.

Earlier, Governors had warned that most of the Sh143 billion worth of assets left by the defunct local authorities have either been grabbed or handed to individuals.

This, the governors claimed, was a result of failure by TA to prepare a proper audit and transfer of these assets before its term expired and it was forced to hand that function to IGRTC.