Kwale County pulls out of Council of Governors activities over auditor general’s report

KWALE, KENYA: Kwale County has pulled out of all activities of the Council of Governor (CoG) including this year's devolution conference taking place in Naivasha.

County Executive Committee CEC Bakari Sebe on Finance and Budget said Governor Salim Mvurya is not attending the conference just days after he also announced that the county will not contribute to the CoG affair.

Sebe said all the county CECs, Members of County Assembly (MCA) did not attend the Naivasha conference because it was not factored in the county's budget.

He said the decision was reached at after reports by the Auditor General, Senate's Public Accounts and Investment Committee said Mvurya and other seven Governors had violated the law by making payments to COG.

Speaking to the Standard, Sebe maintained that no payments will be made and that the County officials have not gone due to lack of finance.

"We don't have a budget for the devolution where even the MCAs are not attending. For us we see it as a double speak, you are doomed if you pay and you are doomed if you don't pay but it is better not to pay," said Sebe.

He however added that the Governor can still attend the conference on a personal capacity.