President Uhuru Kenyatta has maintained his stand that counties will not get a shilling more of the Sh316 billion allocated by the National Assembly in the contested Division of Revenue Bill 2019.Governors and senators have been pushing to have Sh335 billion that the commission on revenue allocation gave counties for the financial year 2019/2020.
Instead, the President advised governors to ensure prudent management of public funds sent to counties, urging them to find ways to improve their own revenue collection to finance counties.
Making a historical address at the County Assembly of Nakuru today, the head of State said counties must learn to work with the available resources because there is no more money to what has already been allocated.
His address to ward representative at the newly refurbished chamber was the first for a sitting president under the devolved system of government.
He opened a new Sh230 million Utaguzi Plaza at the assembly, more than 51 years after his father – Mzee Jomo Kenyatta — the founding president inaugurated the Central Rift County Council chambers and an office complex.
On October 23, 1967 Mzee Kenyatta opened the buildings that stands adjacent to the new facility in a move touted to cement the regional (Majimbo) system of government.The Majimbo system was however abolished in 1974 and the Central Rift County Council disbanded followed by the formation of Nakuru County Council.The council comprised of 50 elected and 19 nominated councillors.
