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COG petitions Senate over delayed funds, accuses Treasury of sabotage

CoG Chairman Peter Munya said for the months of July, August and September, several counties had not received their monthly allocations and even protest letters to the Treasury had not yielded any fruits/FILE

CoG Chairman Peter Munya said for the months of July, August and September, several counties had not received their monthly allocations and even protest letters to the Treasury had not yielded any fruits/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 21 – The Council of Governors (CoG) has petitioned the Senate over the delayed disbursement of monies to the Counties dating back three months.

CoG Chairman Peter Munya said for the months of July, August and September, several counties had not received their monthly allocations and even protest letters to the Treasury had not yielded any fruits.

“Counties are grinding to a halt,” he retorted.

According to the Public Finance Management Act and the disbursement schedule by the Senate, the Treasury is expected to have wired the money to each county by the 15th of every month but according to Munya, this has not been done.

“Out of 47 applications by counties for the July disbursements, 17 Counties have not received the July disbursements in their accounts,” said Munya.

Munya further stated that 38 counties had not received their August allocations while only one county had received its share of revenue for the month of September.

“It is very easy to see how county governments’ are straining in the provision of services to its citizens who undoubtedly expect quality services. These delayed transfers have continued to cause costly challenges to counties,” he added.

Munya attributed the constant strikes to the delayed transfer of monies further warning that with September already coming to an end and counties expected to pay staff, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear of another strike unless the matter is addressed.

“Most of the counties are facing serious consequences because we are supposed to pay salaries and we don’t have the monies, then when you see strikes; you will start blaming counties yet we rely o disbursements from the Treasury,” he stated.

He said the Treasury CS Henry Rotich needed to explain the cause of the delay since so far none had been given to them.

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The Meru Governor also lamented the fact that development projects had stalled since counties lacked monies to pay the suppliers adding that counties were not able to provide adequate health care due to lack of funds in their accounts to purchase medicine.

“The Council therefore demands that the National Treasury releases all the pending counties’ share of revenues for the months of July, August and September 2015 before the end of this week,” he asserted.

Accusing the National government of sabotage, the governors threatened to sue the National Treasury for failing to comply with the law and to also seek the court’s indulgence in directing it to cater for the interest and penalties accrued by the counties from the delay.

“We cannot be subjected to the National Government’s failures by facing the consequences of revenue shortfalls when the National Government in itself is consistently paying salaries on time to its workers before the end of every month,” said Munya.

He further reiterated the governors’ position over the suspension of the adoption of e-procurement until the National Government provided the necessary infrastructure.

“The concept at the moment theoretical because if you tell me to do electronic procurement and the infrastructure is not in place, what you want to do is cripple me,” he said.

READ: Governors want e-procurement suspended in counties

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