Governors want release of funds to fight Covid-19
Council of Governors Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya addresses journalists at Delta House on March 18, 2020 on the steps put in place to arrest spread of Covid-19. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Council of Governors (CoG) has asked the Controller of Budget and the Treasury to release funds due to the 47 devolved units for the months of February and March.
The call comes amid coronavirus outbreak reported in some parts of the country, leading to a lockdown announced by the government to deal with the spread of the pandemic.
Speaking at Kakamega County headquarters, Mr Oparanya said that some counties had decided to pay allowances to medical staff forced to work for long hours while dealing with emergencies related to the disease.
He did not, however, specify the amount owed to the counties. “This is our call, that the national and the county governments put in place measures to cushion the poor and vulnerable members of society from starvation in the event of a total lockdown,” said Mr Oparanya.
He said that county governments face challenges in transporting health workers to their places of work and need intervention by the national government to address the issue.
Other needs include transportation of health workers and provision of essentials such as sanitisers. He urged Kenyans to adhere to safety guidelines.
