Coast senators have faulted the Council of governors chair Wycliffe Oparanya for misleading other governors that counties shut down over revenue impasse.
Addressing the media in Mombasa Friday, Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki, and his Kilifi and Kwale counterparts Stewart Madzayo and Juma Boi said it was in bad taste for the CoG chair to direct other governors to shut down services in counties amidst a debate on county revenue.
“The CoG chair Oparanya, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and Kisumu’s Anyang Nyong’o had no right to call for downing of tools in their respective counties while the debate was on course for revenue sharing,” Said senator Juma Boi
He added that it is a shame for the CoG chair to make such utterances on media while he was in the meeting with President Uhuru and opposition leader Raila Odinga that inspired the agreement to pass the Senate bill where no county lose monies as earlier projected.
Senator Madzayo called on the citizens to ensure the allocated monies to county governments is not embezzled since senators cannot be all over at all times.
He added that it is the work of the Auditor General to safeguard the counties resources and challenged the newly appointed Auditor General to start work immediately.
Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki commended the senators from the 47 counties for agreeing on a formula where every county was a winner since no monies will be deducted as had been suggested earlier leading to the three months’ impasse.
The senator said after the agreement at Senate, the MPs will debate the bill on Monday and there should be a solution sought by Wednesday that will see immediate disbursement of the funds to counties for the first quarter.
He clarified that Treasury was mandated by the Supreme Court to disburse up to 50 percent of money to counties then the rest can be sent as deemed necessary to ensure citizens continue receiving services at counties.
“As senators we distanced ourselves from Ethnic, regional and partisan politics and put the interests of Kenyans first as they would have suffered if counties shut down service delivery,” said Faki.
He added that the Senate has begun process to formulate the county revenue allocation act and strengthen it like the CDF act to guarantee a transparent revenue allocation and save the tax payers money.
By Joseph Kamolo
