MPs raise the alarm over county plans

Preparations for county governments are not advanced enough to establish the new offices created by the Constitution, a workshop for MPs heard on Friday.

MPs attending a two-day forum at Nairobi Safari Park Hotel said local authorities should help in identifying what is available and the gaps that need to be filled before the General Election.

The chairman of the parliamentary committee on local authorities, Mr David Ngugi, said measures should be taken immediately to implement resolutions reached at the workshop to ensure that county assemblies begin their work immediately after the elections.

He asked constitutional commissions and those charged with implementing the Constitution to continue focusing on their mandate and to work in harmony to ensure that the devolved governments begin operations smoothly.

Noting that the availability of resources will ensure the success of county governments, he asked the CRA to ensure that the formula for revenue sharing is objective and embodies the letter and spirit of the Constitution. “I urge CRA to be objective in its work,” he said.

Participants said county assembly members should be information technology savvy and have a strong understanding of the law and procedures.

The issue of the need for a university degree to qualify to run for office came up in one of the group committee sessions but attracted clashing views. It was ruled out in the recommendations.

However, Commission of Revenue Allocation chairman Micah Cheserem said ICT must be embraced in the counties, citing teleconferencing as among the key benefits that come with it.

Mr Ngugi stressed the place of ICT in county management and said key players must be prepared to fully embrace it. Mr Cheserem said CRA will do a lot of training in County Assemblies on ICT and budgetary processes.

The forum recommended development of a coordination mechanism between the Senate and county assemblies, noting that collaboration and coordination is necessary among the various actors for devolution to be implemented in the spirit of the Constitution.

The forum discussed fiscal and budget scrutiny and delved into administration and financing of county assemblies.

Participants echoed earlier sentiments by National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende and Clerk Patrick Gichohi on the need for audits, recommending staff audits for planning purposes.