The Council of Governors (COG) on Friday insisted on the addition of Sh19 billion to counties.
CoG chair Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, cited that they will need to get the Sh335 billion in order to provide the required services to Kenyans at the county level.
“We have done our best, but we stand on the issue of Sh335 billion. Look at the inflation, last year we were allocated Sh314 billion, we got the inflation of about six per cent, the amount came to Sh372 billion and that’s why the Senate was insisting on the figure of Sh327 billion,” stated Oparanya.
This comes only a day after President Uhuru Kenyata reiterated that the government does not have money to finance the extra Sh19 billion shillings that the governors are demanding.
He directed the county bosses to work with the Sh316 billion allocated by the National Assembly.
The governors also threatened to hold an Ugatuzi initiative that will enforce devolution by making amendments to the constitution.
“You remember that during the inaugural county government, we had the Pesa Mashinani Initiative that failed. But this time around, we will roll out the Ugatuzi Initiative to seek amendments to the Constitution,” Oparanya charged.
The Senate on Wednesday agreed on allocation of Sh335 billion to the counties but the National Assembly went ahead to pass the Sh316 billion allocation on Thursday.