Kirinyaga governor and chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG), Anne Waiguru, has announced new measures set to address funds management in the counties.
Following a two-day retreat in Naivasha, Waiguru stated that county officials will receive their salaries on time after forging a close partnership with the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC).
SRC was also expected to review the job description of governors' appointees and award salaries equivalent to their roles, according to Waiguru's statement dated Thursday, October 13.
Additionally, the partnership will harmonise the benefits and salaries of all the officers in the counties.
"The purpose of the retreat was to address common challenges affecting county governments with regards to Public Finance, Procurement, and Human Resource Management to facilitate smooth service delivery across the 47 counties,” Waiguru stated.
Governors will also work together with the County Pension Fund (CPF) and Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on the management of gratuity and pensions.
Furthermore, the CoG urged the National Treasury to disburse the funds to county governments within the laid-out timelines.
Payment of salaries of the Early Childhood Educators and classification of development spending shall be handled by the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) alongside the CoG.
The Controller of Budget and the Central Bank of Kenya were further expected to implement an automation system to eliminate the movement of County Officers to Nairobi for clearance of payments by December 2022.
"Governors support the Office of the Auditor General in promoting accountability in the management of public funds," Waiguru advised.
Conclusively, CoG vowed to amend the County Governments Act on the appointment of tenure of the County Chief Officers.
"We appreciate all government institutions that have showcased their commitment in ensuring devolution is strengthened and thrives," the CoG chairperson concluded.
