Release county funds

A Council of Governors press briefing led by chair James Ongwae on April 5, 2022 [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Governors have decried continued delays in funds disbursement to counties. According to James Ongwae, Council of Governors vice chairman, the national government was yet to release Sh148.39 billion owed to counties at close of business on Tuesday this week.

Inordinate delays in fund disbursement to counties is a perennial problem that could have been excused in the nascent stages of devolution. Eight years into devolution, there is no reason counties should be sending appeals to the treasury to release funds.

A lot is tied to county funds, among them, development and recurrent expenditure. Delayed salary payment to staff affects morale and work performance. Equally important, when counties cannot pay suppliers in good time, it results in recriminations and mistrust. The least the national government can do is to disburse funds in good time.