Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has called on the national government to release county funds in time for efficient service delivery to county residents.
Ranguma says Kisumu County will grind to a halt if the government fails to disburse its allocation in time for the county.
“I have not received funds for the months of July, August and its possible that funds for September will also not come. How will I run the county when there is no money,” he asked.
Speaking in Kisumu on Monday, Ranguma said that money should be sent quarterly or monthly to the counties but in advance to allow for planning.
He said the health workers who have been complaining of delayed salaries should understand the predicament the counties are facing.
Ranguma said the national government should own up to its fault of releasing funds late.
“When counties fail to pay health workers in time and they start rioting, it is the national government that then says counties are unable to manage the health docket and that it should be transferred back to them yet the mistake is theirs,” he said.
He defended the devolution of health saying that the government should not peg the recall of the health sector to the national government based on late payments of salaries.