This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
As of November 15, 2019, the 47 county governments in Kenya had not received their monthly disbursement of Ksh.31.6 billion, which was legally due.
The delay in appointing a substantive controller of budget has made it impossible for county governments to draw funds from their revenue accounts.
County government workers are yet to receive their November salaries, and devolved units have been unable to fulfill their financial obligations, including statutory deductions and payment of pending bills to suppliers.
According to reports, the National Assembly had stuck to a Ksh.316.5 billion allocation to counties, while the Senate insisted on a Ksh.335.6 billion allocation.
As a result, governors are now calling for the process of clearing the controller of budget to be fast-tracked.
On November 19, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Margaret Nyakang'o as the new controller of budget, who is up for vetting by the National Assembly.
If approved, Nyakang'o will be in charge of controlling withdrawals from the public kitty and managing counties' funds.
