The strain on County governments is increasing with each passing day, due to lack of funds. County workers in several Counties are already on a go slow in several Counties due to unpaid July wages, a situation which has shed more light on the impasse between County governments and the national government. The Senate’s call for more allocation, from the currently proposed Kshs 316 billion to Kshs 335 billion seems far fetched, given how mediation talks led by an 18-member team went this week. The mediation session was highly charged with Senators and MPs maintaining their ground.
The Council of Governors chair Wycliffe Oparanya has cited the fact that County workers in some Counties are on a go slow due to lack of supplies and payment of salaries. Following the charged mediation talks this week, Governor Oparanya has faulted leaders who aren’t open to new ideas, “In a mediation you must have a position, they must have a position and maybe you meet halfway but if you go there with a particular stand then the word mediation has no meaning.”
The Senators’ proposal for more money to be allocated to the Counties was strongly opposed by MPs led by majority leader Aden Duale, with senator Ledama Ole Kina calling for expenditure cuts in the three arms of government to facilitate the increment of equitable share. The talks are set to resume on Wednesday next week, where the leaders hope a solution will be found so that services can resume in Counties, “As Governors we continue to hope the mediation talks will be fruitful and Counties will receive their proper equitable share,” said Oparanya.