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Trans-Nzoia County Governor, George Natembeya, has raised a major concern about the ongoing financial crisis affecting county governments across the country.
Speaking passionately about the issue, Natembeya called for the shutdown of all 47 counties, blaming the persistent delay in the disbursement of funds from the National Treasury for crippling key operations.
During his address, Natembeya urged the Council of Governors (CoG) to take decisive action by considering the closure of county governments, stating that the delayed release of shareable revenue has paralyzed crucial activities in the devolved units.
“I am asking the CoG to seriously consider closing all the counties. If the national government cannot give us the funds we need to function, what’s the point of continuing? It would be better to shut down operations than to keep struggling like this,” he declared.
The governor further expressed his frustration over the disparity between national and county government employees, pointing out that while those working for the national government continue to receive their salaries on time, county employees are facing severe financial hardship.
According to Natembeya, the financial crisis has extended beyond delayed salaries. He highlighted that many development projects across the counties have been stalled due to the lack of funds, and county governments are accumulating debts as a result of the ongoing cash crunch.
“It is not only about salaries. The delay in disbursement of county funds has also forced us to put key county projects on hold,” the governor emphasized, adding that the situation is unsustainable and drastic measures must be taken.
The call for action from Natembeya comes amid growing concerns about the financial health of county governments, with several counties reporting similar challenges.
Many have experienced halted projects, unpaid salaries, and an increase in pending bills, raising fears that the financial crisis could worsen if the National Treasury does not release the funds soon.
The situation has reignited the debate over the effectiveness of the devolved system of government, with some questioning whether counties can continue to function without adequate funding from the national government. As the crisis deepens, all eyes are now on the CoG to see whether they will act on Governor Natembeya’s bold proposal.
