Follow Us on Social Media

President Kenyatta calls on Parliament to end standoff over allocation for counties

August 14, 2019

BY PSCU and MWINGI TIMES

President Uhuru Kenyatta today called on the National Assembly and the Senate to end the stalemate over the Division of Revenue Bill 2019 to allow release of funds to counties.

He said Members of Parliament should act quickly to ensure that counties get their share of the available funds because any further delay will deny Kenyans the services they need.

The President however reminded MPs that the Government does not have unlimited resources and should bear in mind that what the National Government has been allocating to counties is much more higher than the threshold set by the Constitution.

“The Constitution says we give a minimum of 15 percent to counties. Within one year I took it to over 30 percent,” said the President as he called on modesty and honesty in demands for more allocations for counties.

“Why can you not pass the Bill so that people can get services. Reach an agreement so that we can release funds to counties,” said the President.

The President said the country does not have unlimited resources and leaders should not act as if money flows freely and that Kenya’s “resources are unlimited.”

The Head of State said leaders also need to change their attitudes and understanding of devolution because the system of governance does not stand for competition between different levels of government.

“It is two systems of Government complementing each other to deliver services for the people,” said the President.

He said devolution as a system of government is working for Kenyans and what is needed is for leaders to change their approach to leadership.

“I want to acknowledge my believe that devolution is working. What we need now is to focus on the agenda of delivering for the people who put us in leadership,” said the President.

The Head of State spoke after he officially opened the Ugatuzi Plaza that houses the Nakuru County Assembly Chamber.

He said elected leaders owe a debt to the electorate and the only way to repay them is to deliver services to them.

The President said he was impressed by the refurbishment and expansion of the Ugatuzi Plaza while also commending Nakuru MCAs for putting the interests of the people before theirs after revelations that the grassroots leaders had resolved not to use county funds on foreign travel.

Calls by President Kenyatta comes at a time  services at the counties are nearly crippling  with some county bosses  blaming the looming breakdown on the Division of Revenue Bill stalemate.

On Tuesday, county workers in several devolved units downed their tools over delay of July salary.

No comments

Post a Comment

© all rights reserved
made with by Skitsoft