Nyong’o hits out at Ruto for failing to remit Sh10.5 billion road funds to counties
The governor's statement comes two days after President William Ruto affirmed that the national government is best positioned to manage the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund
Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o has lashed out at the national government for holding onto billions of shillings meant for roads instead of allowing county governments to manage them.
In a strongly-worded statement, Prof Nyong’o called for the abolition of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA), saying they need not exist if the national government is prepared to fully implement devolution.
“The counties manage health effectively and efficiently. The national government cannot even manage Kenyatta National Hospital: one of the very few health entities in its hands. The truth is that the Ruto regime has decided to go back to pre-devolution times of the Nyayo era,” the governor said.
Prof Nyong’o noted that the 2010 Constitution is a hindrance to the national government’s “primitive accumulation schemes, which will affect not only devolution but the very ethos of building a national democratic and developmental state.”
“The Council of Governors and all progressive forces in our Republic need to be aware of this fact and to resist it by all means necessary. The achievements of the Second Liberation must not be destroyed by this regime,” he said.
The governor’s statement comes two days after President William Ruto affirmed that the national government is best positioned to manage the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), ensuring effective allocation and utilisation of resources for infrastructure development.
Speaking on Sunday at Easter Sunday church service at Ntulele in Narok County, Ruto said the move would lead to more efficient management of road maintenance funds, resulting in improved infrastructure and enhanced connectivity across the country.
He observed that overlapping responsibilities between the national and county governments in road infrastructure development had often caused delays and inefficiencies.
“I would like to ask these honorable members here—I am aware there is an ongoing tussle between county governments and Parliament, especially on the road maintenance funds,” Ruto said.
Governors have been demanding the allocation of the levy, currently pegged at Ksh 25 per litre of petrol and diesel, is collected by the Kenya Roads Board and managed at the national level but the National Assembly has been adamant in refusing the bid.
Governor Barasa said it was unconstitutional for the national government to manage funds meant for local infrastructure without involving counties.
“The MPs are frustrating devolution. We have a right to claim close to Ksh 10.5 billion for counties to implement road maintenance projects more efficiently,” Kakamega Governor Ferdinand Barasa recently said.
