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Governors threaten to petition Parliament for removal of Controller of Budget

The governors now appear to be gearing up for a political and legal showdown

by STEPHEN ASTARIKO

North-eastern15 June 2025 - 18:30

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In Summary

The COG chair Abdullahi noted that Wajir County has Sh130 million earmarked for bursaries, but the funds remain inaccessible due to what he termed bureaucratic sabotage.
The outcry comes months after Dr. Nyakang’o directed all 47 counties to halt the issuance of bursaries, arguing that education support falls under the national government.

The Council of Governors (CoG) has issued a sharp warning to Controller of Budget Dr Margaret Nyakang’o.

Speaking in Wajir on Saturday, CoG Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said the council is ready to take legal action — including petitioning both houses of Parliament — to push for her removal from office.

“We want to send a warning to her that as a council, we are now willing to go legal. We are willing to petition Parliament for her removal because she has made it impossible for the average Kenyan to access county services,” Abdullahi said.

The bone of contention, he said, is what he described as Dr. Nyakang’o’s persistent obstruction in the release of funds to counties — particularly bursary allocations meant to support needy students.

“We can't pay fees for kids who need to stay in school because some government bureaucrats somewhere are making life difficult," Abdullahi said.

"We’ve signed intergovernmental agreements with the Ministry of Education, but the Controller of Budget has become difficult, intransigent, and extremely unreasonable."

He noted that Wajir County has Sh130 million earmarked for bursaries, but the funds remain inaccessible due to what he termed bureaucratic sabotage.

The outcry comes months after Dr. Nyakang’o directed all 47 counties to halt the issuance of bursaries, arguing that education support falls under the national government.

The decision was met with widespread criticism and triggered negotiations involving former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

A temporary resolution was reached, allowing counties to resume bursary disbursements — but tensions appear to be resurfacing.

“There is no Controller of Budget for counties and another for the national government. Why must we carry invoices, contracts, and receipts from Wajir and queue in her office for weeks just to access funds?” Abdullahi asked.

The governor expressed frustration that counties, which only receive 9% of the national budget, are still subjected to tight scrutiny and delays.

He accused the CoB of applying financial regulations inequitably, always to the detriment of county governments.

“There’s no fairness. The CoB is enforcing laws and policies in a way that favors the national government and hampers the ability of counties to perform basic functions,” he said.

Abdullahi made the remarks during an event in Wajir Town supporting the #DontHideMe campaign, an initiative aimed at empowering children with disabilities. He was accompanied by Wajir East MP Adan Daud Mohamed, Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow, and Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed.

The governors now appear to be gearing up for a political and legal showdown, signaling growing tensions between devolved units and the national oversight off ice.

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