Nyeri senator Ephraim Maina has called for a reconsideration of county governments, citing misplaced priorities.
Maina yesterday said many counties were using funds to pay salaries and for travelling at the expense of development.
“It beats logic why a county like Nyeri should be ranked third in spending money on travelling,” Maina said.
He regretted that counties were not doing enough to improve healthcare, education and agriculture, the engines of poverty alleviation.
“With the colossal sums of money the government pumps into counties, there is need for us to re-look at the way county governments have been set and how they operate.” Maina said. He spoke at Karatina Children’s Home in Mathira.
The senator said Kenyans voted for devolution with the hope that resources would be brought to the grassroots to improve services.
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Instead, counties had become consumption entities with funds often spent on non-essentials, he said.
“It is sometimes very frustrating for senators who want to see good things happening in the counties,” he said. He asked the DCI, DPP and EACC to investigate the use of funds in the devolved units “otherwise devolution will not work.”
“They should do so because at this rate, devolution may never become what it was intended to be.”
The senator however praised some governors who have performed well.
His concern follows a report by the Controller of Budget showing that some counties spent nothing on development during the first quarter of the financial year.
The Council of Governors on Monday defended its members and instead blamed the Treasury for delay in releasing funds.
“Money for development was released in October yet the financial year starts in July. That means counties did not have funds to channel to development projects,” CoG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said.
Maina said his county’s decision to build roads and a mortuary at the referral hospital was ill-advised.
He said more money should be allocated for bursaries to help parents to pay school fees.
He also urged the county government to maintain the Karatina Children’s Home.
The toilets are full and children defaecate in the bush. The hall is also small for the 400 children in the facility. “The children require some basic amenities. Lack of maintenance has left the place dilapidated,” he said.
The home is run by the county government but its infrastructure was built and improved by the senator 20 years ago.
Maina donated uniforms and food stuff to the children.