NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 17—Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has stepped in to mediate longstanding tensions between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Controller of Budget (CoB) over revenue access and expenditure approvals, which have strained their working relationship.
Chairing an Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) meeting on Monday, Kindiki led discussions that resulted in a resolution directing the National Treasury to immediately release all outstanding equitable share funds owed to counties for November.
The move is expected to ease financial bottlenecks at the county level and address concerns over delays that have hindered service delivery and development projects.
The disagreements center on the management of County Revenue Fund accounts and delays in the absorption of development funds, challenges that have hindered efficient service delivery at devolved units.
Speaking during a consultative meeting held at Karen, Nairobi, Kindiki emphasized the critical role of devolution as a transformative pillar of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. He underscored the need for dialogue to foster cooperation and efficiency between county leadership and independent offices.
Frequent consultations to iron out misunderstandings between County Governments and independent offices like the Controller of Budget are important for greater efficiency, accountability, and effective service delivery-Kindiki
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi, Vice Chair Mutahi Kahiga, Finance Committee Chair Fernandes Barasa, CoG Whip Stephen Sang, Legal Committee Chair Ochilo Ayacko, and CoG CEO Mary Mwiti. Also present were senior national government officials, among them Treasury CS John Mbadi, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, Principal Secretary for Devolution Teresia Mbaika, and Controller of Budget Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o.
Kindiki’s intervention follows his recent call for collaboration between the CoB and county leadership to address persistent delays in disbursing and utilizing county funds.
During the 25th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) on December 13, Kindiki highlighted that delays in accessing development funds were often exacerbated by procedural bottlenecks surrounding financial oversight.
The Deputy President urged a balanced approach to ensure that financial oversight does not stifle service delivery.
“We must bridge the gap between the viewpoints of the CoG and CoB to help both institutions deliver on their mandates,” he added.
Source: capitalfm
