Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya yesterday defended the county governments over accusations that they cannot account for money they have received since 2013.
He addressed journalists after appearing before the Senate Public Accounts Committee.
Munya said each county is ready to account for taxpayers’ money.
“Recently there was coverage in the dailies portraying counties as misusing funds. County governments have achieved much since devolution,” he said.
The Meru governor said counties can show what projects the money has been spent on.
The Senate Committee on Devolved Governments recently accused governors of failing to account for Sh300 billion released in three years.
The committee is chaired by Bomet Senator Wilfred Lesan. He said of the Sh700 billion disbursed to counties since 2013, only Sh400 billion can be accounted for.
Munya instead accused the national government of corruption and misuse of public resources.
“According to the Controller Budget’s report for nine months, the county governments spent Sh7.15 billion on domestic and foreign travel,” he said.
“The national government CSs and departments spent Sh8 billion in the same period.
Munya said the counties are allowed to access overdraft from the Central Bank for operations at five per cent of the latest audited revenue. This money is to be repaid within a year.
He said the borrowing will cushion counties from financial constraints caused by delays in disbursement of the equitable share from the National Treasury.
Munya termed progressive, the Auditor General’s report that said Kenyans are over-represented by exorbitantly paid lawmakers, who should be reduced to cut money spent on their allowances.