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Kiragu signed agreements with the county secretary Patrick Analo and Kenya National Library Services CEO Charles Nzivo
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Library Service is one of the devolved functions that was still under the national government
Image: EZEKIEL AMINGA
The national government has completed the transfer of 61 libraries to county government.
The state has also released assets worth millions of shillings, library staff and their files as well as Sh425 million for their salaries.
The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee – the body spearheading the transfer announced the completion of transfer yesterday.
"This is the sixtieth out of 61 libraries that we have for transfer. We have signed agreements and transferred all the asset registers to counties," said IGRTC chairperson Githinji Kiragu.
He spoke when he presided over the transfer of Kibera Library to the Nairobi county government.
Kiragu signed agreements with the county secretary Patrick Analo and Kenya National Library Services CEO Charles Nzivo.
Library Service is one of the devolved functions that was still under the national government.
Last week, IGRTC completed the validation of various county functions still held by the national government.
The committee is expected to file a report detailing the identified functions before the same is submitted to the national and county governments coordinating summit for ratification.
Thereafter, the functions will be gazetted for eventual transfer to the devolved units.
In December, President William Ruto gave IGRTC 60 days to complete stakeholder engagement in readiness for the transfer.
There are 61 libraries spread across 33 counties. Nzivo said KNLS has released Sh425 million for effective implementation of the function.
‘As KNLS, we want to assure the county that we shall not be the stumbling block to devolution. We have released all the libraries to counties,’ Nzivo said.
The CEO said KNLS will develop policies and build capacities of counties to effectively run the libraries.
"We will not rest. We will see to it that our children grow well. We are especially going to start with 14 counties that do not have libraries,’ he said.
Kiragu said IGRTC was keen to ensure all devolved functions are released.
"It is a constitutional requirement and a presidential directive that we release all devolved functions to counties," he said.
Analo expressed the county’s commitment to successfully perform the function.
He said the city county will not only modernise and equip the existing public libraries in the city, but will ensure they establish one in every subcounty.
"For us, and as per the manifesto of the governor, a library is not just a place where people go to read. It is a place where people socialise and meet to share ideas," Analo said.