MPs fighting devolution, says Ruto
What you need to know:
- Mr Ruto said the MPs, for instance, planned to introduce a Bill to wrest control of Level 5 hospitals from the counties.
- The governor also claimed that the MPs had tabled a Bill seeking powers to impeach governors.
- Mr Ruto reiterated that his government had no audit irregularities, contrary to claims by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale.
Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto Friday accused MPs of attempting to scuttle devolution by introducing Bills in Parliament that seek to return devolved functions to the national government.
Mr Ruto said the MPs, for instance, planned to introduce a Bill to wrest control of Level 5 hospitals from the counties.
“We wonder why MPs want to deny their constituents health care services when the concept of devolution is to bring them closer to the people,” he said.
Speaking in Chepalungu Sub-County, he said governors would “fight to the bitter end” to ensure such services were not taken away from the rural poor.
Mr Ruto said before devolution, hospitals lacked essential drugs and employees. “It beats logic for the national government to frustrate county governments by taking away these services when we have restored sanity in the health sector,” he said.
IMPEACH GOVERNORS
The governor also claimed that the MPs had tabled a Bill seeking powers to impeach governors.
This, he said, was in bad taste and urged the lawmakers to respect the Constitution.
“Legislators are seeking powers to settle political scores with governors. Impeachment of governors emanates from county assemblies and MPs should stop belittling these institutions,” he said.
The governor claimed this was a wider scheme by the Jubilee administration to silence governors in their push for a referendum.
Mr Ruto reiterated that his government had no audit irregularities, contrary to claims by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale.
“This is mere propaganda to divert the attention of Kenyans from the referendum we are pushing for and portray governors as people interested in wresting power in the next election,” he said.
He explained how his government spent Sh238 million it received from the Transition Authority between April to June 30 last year.
At the close of the 2013-2014 financial year, he said, the county had a net surplus of Sh121 million in its revenue account. “If we had such monies in our account, where is this theft that Mr Duale is talking about?”
On Monday, Mr Duale claimed the Bomet governor had failed to account for Sh184 million in development funds.
