Governors raise concerns over Ksh.172 billion pending bills

The Council of Governors (CoG) has called for the timely disbursement of funds to enable efficient service delivery and avoid the disruption or cancellation of ongoing development projects.

Speaking during the Extra-Ordinary Council meeting, CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi, noted that counties had so far received Ksh.400.26 billion out of the projected Ksh.600.69 billion for the financial year.

He pointed out that the burden of pending bills remains heavy, with the total standing at Ksh.172 billion with Nairobi alone accounting for over Ksh.100 billion.

There were also renewed calls for political goodwill and institutional commitment to strengthen the gains of devolution and improve service delivery at the grassroots level.

Further, the Chair acknowledged the pain caused by recent unrest, expressing solidarity with families that lost loved ones and those affected by the destruction of property.

He, however, highlighted some of the challenges like the delay of funds from the treasury, which sometimes leads to cancellations of projects.

Abdullahi reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to promoting development and unity in counties, stating that the address marks the final formal engagement before the upcoming Devolution Conference scheduled for next month.