This archive report was first published on 10 July 2021.
Kenyan counties have been given a reprieve to clear all pending bills, with a deadline set for Tuesday, July 13th. This announcement was made by Martin Nyaga Wambora, Chairman of the Council of Governors.
According to Wambora, the Council of Governors had appealed to the National Treasury to allow more time for county governments to scrutinize and verify all pending bills. The appeal was successful, with the National Treasury agreeing to extend the deadline.
Wambora made the announcement following the disbursement of Kshs 316.5 Billion of the total equitable share of revenue for the Financial year 2020/2021 to County Governments. Another Kshs 38.3 Billion was disbursed as conditional grants.
Speaking during a budget making retreat in Mombasa, Wambora emphasized that only eligible and genuine pending bills would be paid. He also stated that the Office of the Auditor General would further securitize all documentation relating to payments.
Wambora urged members of the county assemblies to prioritize development projects initiated at the ward level, while also calling on them to keep their promises to the people and remain consistent.
The budget retreat was attended by Embu County Speaker Josiah Thiriku and the clerk Jim Kauma.
Wambora expressed his happiness that the IFMIS system and the Internet Banking (IB) solution would remain accessible to county governments until next week, allowing them to resolve and pay genuine pending bills.
He also commended the National Treasury for keeping its word and releasing all the funds to the counties, calling it a positive development.
