Counties given more time to validate assets, liabilities

County governments have been given more time to complete their respective registers of all assets and liabilities belonging to defunct local authorities.

The 47 devolved units have until June 20, this year to validate, verify and transfer all the assets belonging to the defunct authorities based on, but not limited, to the exit report by the Transitional Authority (TA).

The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) which took over the residual functions of the TA, has extended the deadline from March 31 due to the delay in gazetting structural modalities.

A document seen by Nation by IGRTC the chairman Karega Mutahi, sates that the committee was required to verify all the liabilities amounting to Sh69billion of the defunct authorities in consultation with relevant stakeholders then develop appropriate settlement option to guide the liquidation of these huge and ever growing liabilities.

“The inordinate delays notwithstanding the process of the verification of the assets and liabilities have been on course,” read the document.

IGRTC also wants the counties to implement the structures for the transfer and verification of assets and liabilities of the defunct local authorities and the counties that will not have established County Assets and Liabilities Committees (CALCs) by May 31, will see the IGRTC take up the matter with concerned parties.

There will also be a formation of the inter-agency technical committee and the county Assets and Liabilities Committee (CALC) which will comprise two joint secretaries with a chairperson appointed by the governor, three public officers from the county public service board appointed by a governor, the county commissioner, the clerk of the assembly and representative from the National Land Commission.

Other members include a representative from the ministry of lands and physical planning, a senior officer from the county treasury, and an officer from the internal audit service department of the national treasury.

Mr Mutahi stated that the IGRTC will cater for the expenses of the inter-agency technical committee while the counties will cater for the county assets and liabilities committee.

“Once the CALCs are established by the governors, 423 persons in total, the IGRTC will facilitate an intensive induction course for all and the work is expected to start immediately thereafter,” said Mr Mutahi.

Nairobi County is boasting of being among the first counties to come up with asset register and asset management strategic plan.

Speaking to Nation, the county chief officer for finance Luke Gatimu said that they are in the process of digitising the asset management systems and they are coming up with a directorate of all assets.

Mr Gatimu said that the county has also had land belonging to county surveyed and those that have written to the national Land Commission (NLC) to revoke titles grabbed land.

“Actually we are ahead of the schedule…we have our lands surveyed and as we speak we are in the process of getting the title deeds for our lands in the county,” he said.