Governors are pushing the National Government to ensure all key money bills, including the County Revenue Allocation Bill, Division of Revenue Bill, and the County Governments Additional Allocation Bill, are passed concurrently, arguing that delays and staggered approvals are stifling development in the counties.
Speaking during a sensitization forum on the Kenya Devolution Support Program (KDSP II) in Naivasha, the Council of Governors took issue with the implementation of the County Governments Additional Allocation Act, recently enacted by President William Ruto, claiming it locks counties out of accessing donor-funded projects due to bureaucratic hurdles.
According to the Governors, billions of shillings meant for critical sectors such as agriculture, health, and education remain unspent as counties await the release of the funds leaving many projects in limbo.
Council of Governors (CoG) chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi stressed the need for synchronized passage of the money bills in both the National Assembly and Senate to prevent delays in disbursing donor funds, most of which fall under the Additional Allocation Bill and which are often released at the tail end of the financial year.
The CoG further accused the National Treasury of deliberately delaying disbursements and colluding with lawmakers to frustrate counties.
The governors further called on development partners to engage county governments directly through the Council of Governors, claiming the National Government has created unnecessary bottlenecks that hinder timely implementation of donor-funded programs.
They criticised the executive for failing to demonstrate genuine support for devolution, noting that despite its public rhetoric, little progress has been made in empowering counties.
The World Bank has also expressed concern over the disbursement delays, warning that such setbacks disrupt donor planning and could result in reduced investment in future projects.
The CoG now wants a paradigm shift in how the County Governments Additional Allocations Act (CGAA) is implemented.
