The government has started the transfer of 25 museums and gazetted sites to counties as transfer of devolved functions gains momentum.
The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee is spearheading the exercise that seeks to fully streamline devolution.
On Tuesday, Trans-Nzoia county government became the first county to have its museum transferred.
Culture and Heritage Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir said there are 25 museums, national monuments and gazetted sites set for transfer to county governments.
"We have started with seven counties but the negotiations are going on with the others," she said.
However, the process will not affect Unesco heritage sites like Fort Jesus.
Bashir said other counties set to takeover museums are, Wajir, Narok, Garissa, Isiolo, and Marsabit.
“We are officially transferring the museum of Trans Nzoia, sitting on 33 hectares of land because we are implementing what is stated in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution,” she said.
“This should have been done a long time ago. It is a step at a time and right now we are focusing on the first seven counties. Trans Nzoia is the first county but we have six more counties to go.”
The transfer of museums to the counties comes at a time when IGRTC concluded a validation exercise of devolved functions.
The exercise held in Naivasha, Nakuru county, ended on Wednesday.
The forum brought together governors, principal secretaries and IGRTC.
The national government set a deadline of this month to transfer all pending devolved functions and value assets to county governments.
The July 1 deadline is to have resources and assets follow the transferred function.
Last year, the national government transferred library functions to counties, where 61 libraries were handed over to various county governments with a budget of Sh450 million.
“We have up to July 1 this year to have resources follow the functions transferred. We believe the counties have the capacity and capabilities to run the libraries and the museums,” Bashir said.
“We are headed in the right direction and today is the birth of a new era. Trans Nzoia will show other counties that this transfer function is very doable.”
Devolution PS Teresia Mbaika said President William Ruto’s government is committed to transferring all pending devolved functions as dictated by the Constitution.
She said the commitment shown by Trans Nzoia shows that counties are ready to undertake the functions.
“I want to give the commitment of the government that this is not just going to happen to museums alone but to all the remaining functions,” Mbaika said.
IGRTC chairperson Kithinji Kiragu said the national government will gazette all remaining unbundled devolved functions before March.
The agency has identified 12 sectors as still remaining.
The sectors include trade, education, health, regional development authorities; tourism, wildlife and culture; agriculture, health, energy, lands, public works; housing and urban development, education and environment and disaster management.
“We would like to urge other ministries, departments and agencies to follow the example of the State Department for Culture, Heritage and Arts.”
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya said his administration will continue working with the national government to ensure human resources, finances and assets pertaining the function are transferred