Governors threaten to oust CoB Margaret Nyakang’o as April, May disbursements stall

Governors have put the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, on the spot for failing to approve counties’ expenditure plans for April and May, warning that the standoff is paralysing operations and hurting millions of Kenyans who rely on devolved services.

The Council of Governors (CoG) says it is ready to petition Parliament for her removal, accusing her of bias and deliberately frustrating the devolution process.

According to the CoG, Nyakang’o’s conduct is “intransigent and unreasonable”, citing what they say are unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that have made it increasingly difficult for counties to access funds.

CoG Chairperson and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi led the charge, stating that the Council is prepared to take legal steps to have her removed from office.

“I want to send a clear warning to her: as a Council, we are now ready to go the legal route. We will petition both Houses of Parliament for her removal because she has made it nearly impossible for the average Kenyan to benefit from county government services,” Ahmed said.

Speaking in Wajir during the launch of the #Don'tHideMe campaign - a local initiative aimed at empowering children with disabilities, Governor Ahmed decried that counties are still waiting for their April and May disbursements because Nyakang’o has declined to approve their expenditure plans.

“Because of her bad manners and constant mistreatment of the counties, we are yet to receive funds for April and May. She has refused to approve the expenditure plans. The biggest threat to devolution today is the Controller of Budget’s office. There seems to be one set of rules for the national government and another, more punitive one for county governments. Why should we carry invoices, contracts, and receipts all the way from Wajir to Nairobi and queue in her office for weeks just to access funds?” posed Governor Ahmed.

The governor termed the situation a form of systemic sabotage that is undermining the constitutional promise of devolution. He said the delays have far-reaching consequences on service delivery, including the inability to pay school fees or sustain essential development programmes.

“This is hell. Every county is going through the same ordeal. As a country, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly committed to devolution? Why is it so difficult for counties to access funds that have already been appropriated to them, especially when they only receive 9 per cent of the national budget?” he posed.

The latest standoff has been triggered by a new set of funding conditions imposed by the Controller’s office, referred to as the “blue checklist”. County governments claim the checklist was introduced without consultation and only at the final stages of the requisition process, further slowing down disbursements.

“When we sought clarification on why she was introducing a new checklist at the tail end of the requisition process, she refused to meet with the Council or offer any explanation. She seems hell-bent on frustrating counties from utilising their budgets,” one governor said.

Governor Ahmed lamented that the delays persist despite public pronouncements by President William Ruto in support of timely disbursements.

“The President has spoken on this issue, but government bureaucrats are still making life difficult for everyone. It’s time for action, not more talk,” he said.

As tensions escalate, the Council of Governors is pushing for urgent institutional reforms to address what they say is an emerging pattern of obstruction from the Office of the Controller of Budget, and to ensure that counties can fulfil their constitutional mandate without interference.

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• Governors threaten to oust CoB Margaret Nyakang’o as April
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