Kakamega County Governor Fernandes Barasa has appealed to the National government to urgently release the shareable revenue owed to the county governments.
He said the National Treasury owes about 94 billion shillings to the devolved units and the ongoing financial crisis would cripple its operations if not addressed promptly.
He was speaking Thursday in Malava Sub County during the official distribution of drugs and non-pharmaceuticals to various health facilities in the region.
The governor expressed concern that counties have yet to receive their equitable share allocations for February, March, and April.
The governor warned that the continued delay in the disbursement of funds is stalling key development projects and frustrating service delivery across counties.
Barasa revealed that many contractors working on county projects have not been paid, a situation he said risks derailing progress in critical sectors such as infrastructure, health and education.
“We are asking our contractors to be patient as we engage the national government. The delay in releasing funds has made it difficult for counties to meet their financial obligations,” he said.
Despite the financial constraints, the governor confirmed that Kakamega County has managed to pay its staff salaries up to March, ensuring that essential public services continue to run.
The governor, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Council of Governors’ Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs Committee, urged the National Treasury to prioritize the release of the pending funds to enable counties to fulfill their constitutional mandate.
He emphasized that devolution cannot succeed if counties continue to experience funding delays from the central government.
The event was attended by senior county officials, Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and health sector stakeholders.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare service delivery even with the current financial challenges.
By John Ochanda
