Kirinyaga County Government has officially acquired legal ownership of movable assets previously owned by the defunct Local Authorities.
Documentation for the assets that include motor vehicles, motorcycles, tractors and graders was handed over by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) after the signing of documents to facilitate the county’s ownership and management of inherited resources.
While receiving ownership documents and valuation reports for 147 movable assets at the Public Works yard in Kerugoya, Deputy Governor, David Githanda said that the County Government has been holding on to the public assets worth billions of shillings without possessing all the necessary documentation.
“Though this exercise is taking place almost 12 years after the establishment of the devolved units, we want to thank the 10th Intergovernmental Relations Summit for its directive to have the transfer of assets finalised,” said the DG.
He said that the exercise was a significant milestone towards the county’s path to full autonomy and effective governance and will help the County Government in updating its asset inventories for safe keeping and transparency.
Githanda said from the list of vehicles whose log books were handed over, 14 are still in use, while 10 are serviceable. The rest, together with a big chunk of the motor cycles are unserviceable.
“We will ensure the transferred assets are updated in the asset register and utilized effectively. Necessary steps will be taken to repair those that can be of use to the county,” he said, adding that those that are unserviceable will be disposed of in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.
Githanda said that the County will also quickly embark on the process of ownership transfers, re-registration, de-registration with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) so as to get their logbooks.
He added that transfer of the assets to the counties is a crucial step in the transition to devolution and a show of commitment to ensure Intergovernmental Relations Summit resolutions are fully implemented and devolution fully supported to benefit citizens.
Other assets that will subsequently be transferred to the County Government include land, buildings, plant and equipment among others. The land hosts schools, markets, medical facilities, access roads, and social amenities like stadiums and recreational grounds among others.
Dr Perminus Ndimitu, a member of the board of IGTRC stated that the County Government of Kirinyaga took possession of the assets from the defunct local authorities but they did not have the legal mandate until the legal handover.
“This marks the beginning of legal ownership, because we have given the legal ownership by ensuring that the title deeds, in terms of logbooks have been passed to the County,” he added.
Dr Ndimitu stressed that with the legal ownership established, the County Government can now manage the assets as it sees fit. “The county can maintain, dispose of, or repair the assets based on their needs,” he said.
He pointed out that following the handover, the County Department of Finance must now incorporate the valued items into their balance sheets, as required by the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act.
The Director disclosed that the process of identifying, verifying and validating other assets like land and buildings for the County is ongoing and once complete, ownership documents will also be handed over.
By Mutai Kipngetich
