This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
As the stalemate over the Division of Revenue Bill 2019 continues, county governments are warning that they will be forced to shut down from September 16 if the issue is not resolved within the next two weeks.
According to Council of Governors Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, county governments are cash-strapped and will be unable to pay salaries beyond the end of this month if the matter is not resolved.
“The County Governments will not be able to pay salaries at end of this month going forward. Beyond, the 16th of September 2019, if the matter is not resolved the County Governments will have no option but to shut down,” Oparanya stated.
The dispute centers around the amount of money that should be disbursed to the counties, with the National Assembly insisting on a Ksh.316.5 billion allocation and the Senate pushing for Ksh.335.6 billion.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has weighed in on the issue, declaring that the government does not have unlimited resources and will not allocate any additional revenue to counties.
Meanwhile, workers in various counties are still awaiting their July and August salaries, and essential services remain grounded due to the ongoing impasse.
As the mediation committee composed of representatives of both houses of Parliament works to resolve the issue, the clock is ticking for county governments to avoid a shutdown.
