• Challenges of financing have been a major concern to the counties
• Counties that receive low funding from Treasury are also pushing for review
Image: FILE
Governors are expected to focus on challenges they have experienced in financing counties at the devolution conference, which begins in Eldoret today.
Discussions on Thursday, which will be day two of the conference, will focus on the theme of resourcing devolution for service delivery by the counties.
The governors will focus on trends and challenges that have been experienced in financing the devolved sectors and recommend innovative approaches for sustainable and adequate financing for county governments.
Kakamega's Fernandes Barasa, who chairs the CoG Finance Committee, says the challenges of financing have been a major concern to the counties.
"The devolution conference will be an opportunity for us to reflect on what we have gone through and how best we can improve from where we are," he says.
He said without adequate and efficient financing, counties cannot smoothly deliver on their mandate.
"Devolution has had major positive impacts on our country, but we have a huge potential and opportunity to do better," Barasa said.
Kenya Commercial Bank CEO Paul Russo will give the keynote address at the conference on the financing subject.
There will be a panel discussion on the matter that will include Govenors Barasa and Cecile Mbarire, who is the resource mobilisation committee chairperson at the CoG, and Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu.
Others in the panel will include Ali Roba, who is chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Ndindi Nyoro, who is chairman of the Budget Committee in Parliament, and CRA chairperson Mary Chebukati.
Host Governor Jonathan Bii says they are grateful that President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration had within a year in office cleared the backlog of debts the National Treasury owed counties.
"That is a major indicator that President Ruto is very committed to devolution, more than the last regimes in this country", said Bii.
He said counties were major vehicles through which the country would be transformed economically to do away with challenges of poverty and disease.
Bii says counties had active great strides in healthcare which is the main devolved functions.
"What we now need is increase funding to the sector as the country gears towards achieving universal healthcare", said Bii.
However, some of the counties that receive low funding from Treasury have been pushing to have a review of the revenue sharing formula in their favour.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich says his county is among those affected and that low funding had affected development plans in the region.
"We hope that with a review of the revenue sharing formula, we will be able to get adequate funding to invest in development," Rotich said.
Govenor Andrew Mwadime of Taita Taveta, who was among the governors who arrived in Eldoret yesterday, said counties must work in synergy with the national government and donors to strengthen devolution.
"Poverty is still rampant in our counties and we need support from even donors so that we finance more projects that can help alleviate it," he said.
He said Kenya's devolution system is working well and only needs greater financing
Govenors, senators and deputy governors began arriving in Eldoret yesterday for the conference to be opened by President Ruto tomorrow.
The main venue for the conference will be at the Eldoret Sports Club and the conference is expected to bring to the town more than 15,000 guests.