Governors hit out at Controller of Budget

By Antony Gitonga                              

Naivasha, Kenya: The Council of Governors has defended counties that have been accused by the Controller of Budget of giving budgets with deficits.

The council accused the budget controller of misinforming the public on “a very sensitive issue”.

According to Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto, the council had summoned the controller for a meeting over the issue.

The Bomet governor said some of the information issued to the public was wrong and explained that all the counties had revised their budgets.

“We shall have a meeting with the Controller of Budget so that we can resolve this issue and forge a way forward,” he said.

Ongoing retreat

Ruto was addressing the Press at Enashipai Spa in Naivasha during the ongoing retreat for members of county executive committees.

During the meeting, Ruto hit out at the Government, accusing it of not being fully committed to devolution.

The governor said there was urgent need to increase devolved functions in the areas of education, health and roads.

Ruto said counties had been accorded constitutional powers to improve roads and urged other governors to ignore the national government on the issue.

“We have seen Government officers summoning members of the county executive committees and these summons should be ignored,” he said.