President Uhuru Kenyatta has told governors that the national government does not have more money to give them.
Speaking at Kirwara Boys High School in Gatanga during the burial of former area MP Peter Kenneth’s mother Rahab Wambui on Thursday, the president asked the county bosses to utilise what they have and stop asking for more funds.
“You can’t eat what you haven’t sowed. We want our counties to work but if you go and ask for money that is not available, where will it come from (Huwezi kula ile ambayo hujapanda. Tunataka county zetu zifanye kazi lakini ukienda uitishe pesa ambazo haziko zitatoka wapi)?” asked Uhuru.
“We have given them (governors) what we have and what we know we can find. If the National Assembly or the Senate want them to get more money, that's fine. Take a pay cut and give it to the counties, I don’t have money. (Kama Bunge ama Seneti wanasema waongezwe pesa, sawa sawa, kateni mishahara yenu fanya yale mengine mpatie county pesa, mimi sina hiyo pesa)," he added.
Governors are lamenting over what they term as little allocation to counties by the national government in the 2019/2020 Financial Year.
The county bosses are accusing the Commission of Revenue Allocation of allegedly ignoring recommendations on sharing of revenue between the national government and the devolved units.
Last week, county governors filed an application at the Supreme Country seeking an advisory on failure by the National Assembly to pass the Revenue Allocation Bill.
On Wednesday, the Senate approved Sh335 billion revenue for counties to be used in the 2019/2020 financial year.