Governors have advocated for a shift in the funding mechanism and called for direct donor funding to counties to expedite development projects.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the state of devolution in Kenya held at the Movenpick Hotel in Nairobi, the county bosses argued that the new approach would bypass bureaucratic hurdles and ensure timely resource allocation.
Key dignitaries present included Stephen Schonemann, Ambassador of Denmark to Kenya and Chair of the Devolution Donor Working Group.
The national government and counties have been disagreeing over control of donor funds.
The government has maintained that governors can only access the cash through the National Treasury.
The argument has been that county heads cannot directly access the resources because the regions are not countries, and that donors want to deal with a state and not a devolved unit.
During the meeting on Friday, the county bosses also discussed the challenges facing devolution, particularly financial constraints caused by delayed disbursements from the National Treasury.
Themed "Re-defining Devolution," the forum aimed at facilitating knowledge sharing, enhance collaboration and forge strategic partnerships.
The event brought together development partners and Council of Governors sector heads to explore ways to improve service delivery.
Several resolutions were made at the meeting.
It was agreed that development partners will collaborate with the Council of Governors (CoG) in designing and implementing programmes that benefit county governments.
Development partners affirmed their support and commitment to advocating for devolution and county governments to ensure effective service delivery.
Development partners and the CoG agreed to map all donor programmes at the county level to align them with the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).
The CoG, development partners and civil societies resolved to engage in joint discussions with the national government to address issues hindering devolution.
On Monday, governors from the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) took issue with the prolonged delays in the disbursement of funds to counties.
Led by Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, the county bosses warned that the delays could affect the provision of essential services.
They urged the National Treasury to adhere to constitutional obligations and ensure timely disbursements to avert a crisis.
