Nyong'o tells Ruto to keep off road fund, defends devolution

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o speaks at the opening of Kenya sanitation and governance conference in Kisumu. Photo Michael Mute, Standard.

Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has accused President William Ruto of undermining devolution by seeking control of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF).

In a statement on Tuesday, April 22, Nyong'o warned the move would reverse gains made since the adoption of the 2010 Constitution.

He said devolved functions should be left to county governments, arguing that national agencies including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA) should be dissolved.

"The Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority need not exist if the national government is prepared to fully implement devolution," said Nyong'o.

He claimed counties had successfully handled devolved health functions, while the national government continued to struggle with institutions such as Kenyatta National Hospital.

"The truth is that the Ruto regime has decided to go back to the pre-devolution times of the Nyayo era. The 2010 Constitution is a hindrance to its primitive accumulation schemes, which will affect not only devolution but the very ethos of building a national democratic and developmental state," he noted.

Nyong'o's remarks followed Ruto's Sunday call for lawmakers to grant him direct control of the RMLF.

The president, speaking during a church service in Narok, said centralised control would allow for better oversight and faster construction of roads.

"If you leave it to me, I can gather funds enough to build all roads because the money you distribute allows you to build only a small portion and then it is destroyed by rains so I urge you to allow me to plan for that money in the way it can benefit Kenyans more than how it is currently being utilised," said Ruto.

The president added that the government had already paid about Sh60 billion to complete stalled roads and that additional funds would be disbursed in the coming months.

"Many Kenyans need roads, but there are limited resources. We have adopted various strategies to find the resources, and we have slightly succeeded," he added.

At the same time, several Senators sided with governors in rejecting the proposal, urging MPs to abandon the push to retain control of the Sh10.5 billion fund.