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Transition Authority Chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi clarified that governors would only be accountable to the electorate/FILE

Kenya

Governor’s will not sign performance contracts

Transition Authority Chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi clarified that governors would only be accountable to the electorate/FILE

Transition Authority Chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi clarified that governors would only be accountable to the electorate/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 28 – The Transition Authority says county governors will not be required to sign performance contracts as had been proposed by Civil Service boss Francis Kimemia.

Kimemia had said on February 19 that a detailed performance-contracting framework has been developed to evaluate governors, but the officer in charge of overseeing the transition to devolution clarified on Thursday that such a framework would not be passed on to elected officials.

Transition Authority Chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi clarified that governors would only be accountable to the electorate.

“They have the duty to ensure they deliver to the citizen who elected them, because to the citizen the best form of performance contracting comes when they (electorate) decide whether they will renew their (governor’s) term,” said Wamwangi.

He said the Transition to the Devolved Government Act had set out clear provisions on how a non-performing governor can be impeached.

“There is also a laid down procedure in law, which provides for how to impeach a governor who people feel has failed to deliver,” the TA chairman added.

At the same time, three constitutional commissions mandated with managing the preparation for the transition to devolved governments say they have finalised the process.

Speaking during a joint briefing on preparedness for the elections, Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae, Wamwangi of the Transition Authority and Commission on Revenue Allocation chairman Micah Cheserem jointly assured Kenyans that all was in place to ensure a smooth transition.

Nyachae explained that interim assets registers for each of the 47 counties will be ready by March 20 and will be shared with the governors for purposes of accountability.

“There is also a laid down procedure in law, which provides for how to impeach a governor who people feel has failed to deliver,” the TA chairman added.

“As part of the process, an in-depth and comprehensive audit of central government assets will also be carried out. The register will be used to track and verify all assets owned and liabilities incurred by each State organ and public entity before the general elections,” he said.

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Wamwangi said requisite human resource has been identified and seconded to the counties but added that no one will be forced to work in a structure of government they do want to.

County treasurers have further been directed to work in consultation with treasurers of the local authorities in respective counties to close existing local authority accounts and transfer any monies in those accounts to the newly opened county treasuries.

The interim county treasurers that are scheduled to take office in the course of this week will among other roles facilitate the opening of the county revenue accounts and county operational account by March 4.

Nyachae and Cheserem said that a sum of Sh9.8 billion will be disbursed to county governments ‘with immediate effect’ to cover expenses relating to personal emoluments and administrative costs of both the executive and county assemblies.

The Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF) appropriated for the financial year 2013 shall be directed to county revenue accounts and shall be applied to meet the cost of service delivery through an advisory and shall be applied to meet the cost of service delivery by county government, pending budgetary estimates and allocations for the financial year next following.

The county governments will be expected to raise revenue from among other sources, property rates, entertainment taxes and any other tax to fund county activities.

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