Counties are locked in a standoff with the National Treasury over funding delays to devolved units, prompting an emergency meeting of the Council of Governors on Monday morning.
Governors have raised concerns over financial constraints, accusing the Treasury of withholding funds. However, Treasury CS John Mbadi insists that the national government has fulfilled its obligations.
“We have sent money to counties. We don’t owe them any funds except for November,” Mbadi stated.
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Governors, on the other hand, claim the delayed disbursements have severely impacted county operations.
“We cannot be in November and still discussing disbursements from August,” said Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who also chairs the Council of Governors.
Documents obtained by Citizen TV reveal that Ksh.158 billion has been disbursed to counties since the start of the financial year in July 2024. The latest tranche was sent Monday morning, even as tensions flared during the Council's meeting in Westlands, Nairobi.
The Treasury has accused counties of failing to fully utilize the funds already disbursed. A Central Bank of Kenya report shows that Nairobi City County, for instance, has Ksh.6.4 billion unspent and lying idle at CBK.
