This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
Published on September 4, 2019, the stalemate between the National Assembly and the Senate over the Division of Revenue Bill, 2019 has brought county governments to a grinding halt.
CoG Chair Wycliffe Oparanya said county governments are struggling to sustain operations due to the lack of funds, with some on the verge of shutting down by mid-September.
Speaking at Mabomani grounds in Mumias, Mr Oparanya stated that county governments have no money to pay workers and sustain key services, including health services in hospitals.
He added that the CoG is calling for a referendum to strengthen devolution and channel more resources to counties.
However, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, a member of the Justice, Legal Affairs Committee, suggested that governors accept the proposed Sh316 billion for counties, citing the National Treasury's lack of funds to approve the Sh335 billion allocation.
Mr Kaluma pointed out that the government's revenue collection of Sh1.5 trillion is not enough to repay the country's annual debt burden of Sh800 billion and allocate Sh335 billion to counties.
