Senate summons Yatani over delayed disbursement of funds to counties

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani when he appeared before Committee on Finance and National Planning at KICC in Nairobi on Tuesday, December 01 2020. [David Njaaga, Standard]

The Senate has summoned National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to explain a cash crunch in counties.

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, in a letter dated June 7, 2021, wants Yatani to appear before the Committee on Finance and Budget on June 15. “Kindly note that should you fail to attend the meeting, the Senate will be constrained to exercise its powers...,” the letter says.

Finance and Budget Committee chairman Charles Kibiru said they were yet to get a response or undertaking by the CS on Tuesday’s session. The House team first invited the CS for May 26 session, but the Treasury requested it be rescheduled. Mr Kibiru said they want the CS to explain why counties are regularly facing delayed disbursements from the Treasury, almost paralysing the devolved units.

A schedule shows the devolved units were yet to receive Sh103.2 billion of the allocations for 2020/2021 financial year, including Sh29.7 billion carryover from the 2019/20 year.

Nairobi County and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services were owed Sh12 billion.