Devolved functions and assets valued at more than Sh400 billion are yet to be transferred to county governments, Mercy Wambua from Inter-Governmental Technical Relations Committee has said.
She said the transfer of the functions will be hastened following the recent directive by President William Ruto.
Wambua said they are in the process of transferring 14 functions and attendant resources, following an approval by the Cabinet.
"There could be some delays in the transfer because of the process involved but we are committed to ensuring all the functions are transferred as provided under the Constitution," she said.
Wambua was speaking in Eldoret during the handover of the Kenya National Library Services assets and services to the Uasin Gishu government.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and his deputy John Barorot were present to receive the library along with 17 staff members, land and other assets valued at more than Sh400 million.
"We will expand this library and modernise its operations so that it can serve more people with E-services also available," Bii said.
The governor said the transfer of the library services to the county is a significant indicator of the improved operations of devolved units.
“We shall work towards making this library an envy of the region in terms of providing its services to Kenyans in this region," Bii said.
The Eldoret Library has a capacity to hold 200 people at a go and has been serving more than 100,000 people annually.
Bii welcomed the 17 staff from the national government to join his team of more than 4,000 employees in the county.
Aside from a pledge to expand the Eldoret library, the governor also noted that they will work on decentralising its services to the subcounty level.
Deputy Governor Barorot said the facility is now in safe hands under the county government.
He said the county will work on incorporating ICT within the existing library operations to offer services to a wide range of residents.
“We want to provide library services to all cadres of residents including researchers and we will do so electronically apart from the physical space we have in the library,” Barorot said.
Education executive Janeth Kosgei said the library will be a key facility in the county's education system and help to promote culture.
She said the county has a vision of linking the library to all the existing ICT centres at the subcounty level.
“Our vision is to do modernisation of this facility to make it inclusive and dynamic to serve all,” Kosgei said.
“The library has been important and served many generations. We are happy that the services are now under the county government for even better operations and access by our people."
Uasin Gishu county assembly culture committee chairperson MCA Richard Kering said the handover was yet another welcome move in strengthening devolution.
County secretary Edwin Bett said the transfer of the library services to the county was in line with the Constitution.
Uasin Gishu becomes the 33rd devolved unit to take over management of the services as per the constitutional requirement.
Others present included health executive Samuel Kotut, Martha Cheruto (trade), Lucy Ng'endo (youths), county attorney Stephen Lel, chief of staff Nicholas Chepkwony and economic adviser Philip Melly.
