Contentious County Governments Bill tabled in House

By MOSES NJAGIH

KENYA: The controversial Bill seeking to establish county development boards, which has put governors and senators on a collision course, has gone through the first reading in the Senate.

The County Governments (Amendment) Bill by Nandi Senator Stephen Sang was introduced in the House, even as governors alleged an attempt to clip their executive powers granted to them by the electorate.

The governors have vowed to fight the Bill, which seeks to amend the principal County Government Act, arguing that it violates the Constitution.

The Bill seeks to give senators and other elected leaders in counties a role in the running of counties, especially regarding their development agenda.

It gives the politicians a platform to take part in the preparation of county budgets before the budgets are introduced in county assemblies for approval.

If passed, it will effectively diminish the role of governors in the budget making process.

The Bill also seeks to enthrone the senators as the chairmen of the powerful County Development Boards, which will co-ordinate county development plans and projects.

And in a move seen as seeking to have the Bill supported by the National Assembly, all leaders elected and nominated to Parliament are listed as members of the boards, with the Women’s Representatives designated as the vice chairpersons.

The governors will be the secretaries of the boards.

Forum for consultation

Others to sit on the boards include deputy governors, Speakers of the county assemblies, Leaders of Majority and Minority in the assemblies, chairpersons of the assemblies responsible for finance and planning and their counterparts in charge of budget.

To ensure that the national government is represented on the boards, representatives for planning at the county level are also listed as members. The chairperson of the County Public Service Board will also sit on the board.

According to the Bill, the boards shall, among other things, provide a forum for consultation between the national and the county governments and co-ordinate as well as harmonise county development plans and projects.