This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
Published on December 13, 2019, a Nairobi High Court has ordered the National Treasury to release funds retained from 35 counties.
The court's decision came after the Council of Governors sued the treasury, claiming that the retention of funds had stalled provision of essential services in their cash-strapped counties.
The treasury had delayed releasing the funds, citing the vacancy of the Controller of Budget's office. However, on December 4, 2019, Margaret Nyanga'ate Nyakang'o was appointed to the role, which is responsible for approving the release of money from the government's main account and the Consolidated Fund to ministries, counties, and other state agencies.
Despite the appointment, the Council of Governors claimed that they had yet to receive any funds, leading to delayed payments to suppliers and tenders being blacklisted.
Council of Governors Chair and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya announced that they had petitioned the High Court to compel the National Treasury to disburse funds to counties regularly on a monthly basis, as stipulated by the Public Finance Management Act.
“We have been able to pay salaries from local revenue, and I am appealing to all legitimate taxpayers to pay taxes so as to enable us to offer services in return,” he added.
Wycliffe Oparanya further stated that the delays from the treasury had prompted his administration to intensify local revenue collection, which has assumed an upward trajectory in the past four months.
