Service delivery in the country’s 47 devolved units is yet to pick up due to lack of cash from the national government.
According to the National Treasury, it has been forced to advance the county governments Sh20.3 billion for workers’ salaries.
The amount loaned to the county governments is less than a third of Sh75 billion that the devolved units were expecting in the three months to September.
The bone of contention it seems is the Senate’s failure to agree with a cash allocation law that had been approved by the President.
According to the Treasury, money has not been disbursed to the counties because the County Allocation of Revenue Act 2017 was assented to by the President was different from the one the Senate approved.
It is our view that the counties’ cash should be released since the delivery of crucial services are being affected.
The County Allocation of Revenue Act specifies what each county is supposed to get on the basis of the revenue sharing formula approved by Parliament. Though Kenyans went to the polls on August 8 , it is worrying that up to now the counties are yet to get their allocations.
The problem here is that the more the cash delays in being disbursed, the greater the potential of the issue fomenting and becoming an even bigger crisis.
The county governments are facing immense challenges in meeting their obligations due to the cash delays.
It is also worrying that even the billions being loaned to the devolved units are not going to service delivery but to take care of salaries.
We need to get our priorities right. Who deserves to get top priority when it comes to sharing taxpayers’ funds? The Kenyan at the grassroots is yearning for services but is always shoved to the bottom of the pecking order. This must change.
The 2010 Constitution that ushered in the devolved system of governance was intended to eradicate such hurdles that hamper the delivery of serves to the grassroots.
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