This archive report was first published on 12 December 2019.
Kenya's counties have been plagued by delays in receiving devolved funds, hindering their ability to stimulate economic growth and development at the grassroots.
According to the Constitution, the 47 counties were envisioned as engines to drive economic growth and development, but the delays in releasing funds have made it challenging for them to achieve this goal.
Counties need resources to stimulate growth in economic activities, which will in turn spur expansion in own resources, such as property rates and entertainment fees, that have remained stagnant since the onset of devolution nearly seven years ago.
Reports that the Council of Governors (CoG) is considering a legal action against the Treasury over delays in releasing conditional grants are a damper to the delivery of devolved services.
On December 12, 2019, a three-month delay in disbursements of shareable revenue followed a dispute between the Senate and National Assembly over the Division of Revenue Bill.
It is imperative that the two stakeholders, the Treasury and CoG, work on a framework that will ensure a seamless flow of resources to the counties.
