By VITALIS KIMUTAI
The Transition Authority (TA) is today expected to publish a Kenya Gazette notice that will enable fast tracking of devolved functions to county governments.
It is envisaged that the publication would substantially reduce the spat between leaders and technocrats in the national and county governments over unbundling of devolved functions as provided for in the Constitution.
TA Chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi had promised in a meeting between Deputy President William Ruto, governors and members of constitutional commissions that he would withdraw a gazette notice that had taken away critical functions from counties.
In bad taste
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Ruto agreed with governors and senators after a five-hour meeting in Karen on Monday that a gazette notice published last Friday excluding county governments from performing some key functions was in bad taste and should be withdrawn.
It is expected that new legal notices to be published would see functions performed by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura), the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (Kerra) and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), including maintenance of roads, mechanical and transport equipment, being transferred to counties.
An attempt to take functions performed by the three authorities from the county government and reverse allocation of Sh29 million to the counties, and have the money re-allocated to the national government has been opposed by governors and senators.
“TA has confirmed that it will transfer all functions to county governments by Thursday and publish the gazette notice on Friday,” Ruto said after the meeting.
Counties promised to honour existing contracts in ongoing road construction projects undertaken by the three agencies.
