Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen has hit out governors for "running away with accountability and crippling the oversight" of county assemblies.
With his remarks, the Elgeyo Marakwet Senator electrified MCAs attending the 5th Annual Devolution Conference in Kakamega.
Murkomen
backed the strengthening of the oversight role in counties to ensure prudent use of public resources.
"We started after the 2013 elections on conflict and confrontation instead of consultation and collaboration. This conference should open a new chapter for the national government, counties and other actors to work together," he said on Tuesday.
Murkomen regretted that devolution has been hampered by elements who think the system is about Governors alone.
"Devolution is bigger than Governors, MCAs and the national government," he said.
He accused Governors of creating a new generation of marginalised people by frustrating oversight and clinging to the budget-making process.
"There are no checks and balances in counties. Let Governors let go the powers to allocate resources. Let county assemblies perform that function," he told the delegates to loud cheers from MCAs.
While the devolution conference is about auditing the performance of counties, the Senator said, it should also be an opportunity for evaluations to establish how the national government has disbursed resources and if they have been used for their intended purposes.
In his address, Siaya Senator James Orengo said the behaviour of accusing Governors of squandering county resources must stop.
He noted their duty is to protect and advance devolution yet blame game has been shifting from the national to the county government.
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Murkomen, who spoke at Kakamega High school, further hit out at the county chiefs for relegating Deputy Governors to "mere spectators" in county matters.
"Nowadays Geputy Governors have been turned into whole-day newspaper readers. Everybody should feel they are contributing to the development of the country," he said.
He noted that the Senate will look critically at the Ward Development Fund Bill, which seeks to create a special fund for MCAs, to ensure it is aligned to the Constitution for resources to reach the grassroots.
"When MCAs campaigned, they promised development," he said.