Senators proposing to block governors from spending 90 days to election

Senators are proposing to block governors from spending on new projects 90 days to General Election to safeguard public resources from possible plunder by county officials and use by governors for campaigns through populist projects.

The Senate has proposed amendments to the Assumption of the Office of Governor Bill, 2016, that has been sponsored by Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi, and which seeks to provide for the procedure and ceremony for the assumption of office by the governor-elect.

In the changes which have irked governors, senators want the county bosses not to commit their counties to new projects and liabilities during the 90-day period under which they will also be required to prepare lists of all assets and liabilities.

“Counties will be receiving part of their allocations about three months to elections and what senators are proposing is that after counties surrender the lists of assets and liabilities, governors should not again start launching new projects, buying new assets or borrowing money because that will not be subject to scrutiny by the committee and, therefore, could be an avenue of theft or a plot by some governors to use the allocated money as a campaign tool through populist projects and to provide an avenue for looting,” Mr Wamatangi told Nation on Saturday.

The lists will then be committed to a special committee comprising of representatives of the county governments, county assemblies and national government as established in the Bill, which will ensure all assets and bills are documented.

According to Mr Wamatangi, if the Bill goes through, counties will only be allowed to undertake ongoing projects and to run recurrent expenditure.