Governors urge President Ruto to intervene in delay of county funds disbursement

Speaking on Thursday, the Tharaka Nithi Governor said county governments are yet to receive their share of revenues for the months of July and August thus occasioning a delay in payment of salaries for county workers.

Contrasting the situation in counties to the state of affairs within the National Government, Governor Njuki wondered why there is a delay in the disbursement of funds yet the monies come from the same public coffers.

"As we sit here today, no county has received disbursement for July and we are now in September, yet the national government staff have been fully paid including salaries for August which came to an end the other day," he said.

"It is not right that a staff of the national government who shares the same estate with a staff of the county government can be paid in different times yet the kitty comes from the same Treasury," he said.

He noted that inequality is not just happening under Devolution but mainly across the government.

"We are saying it is inequality, not just in devolution but in the whole of the government of the Republic of Kenya where we have one level of government being treated in a different way than the other," he said.

"It is not right that a staff of the national government who shares the same estate with a staff of the county government can be paid in different times yet the kitty comes from the same Treasury," he said.

He added: "It is not right that you have a husband working at the national office in Kilifi and the wife works for the county government in the same place but both of them don't get salaries and they are separated by two months," he said.

Njuki was speaking during the first day of an orientation workshop in Mombasa County meant to induct newly-elected governors into President William Ruto's regime.

The three-day event led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to go on until Saturday.