By Mwenda Njeru
The Council of Governors (CoG) has raised concerns over a fresh bid to revert the health function to the National Government through what it terms a ‘calculated smear campaign painting the devolved units as incapable’.
The CoG is also accusing the National Government of denying them their equitable share now crossing the Sh100 billion mark, a few days to the end of the 2023/2024 Financial Year.
The CoG Health Committee Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki said that as it stands, counties have not received their equitable share from the National Government for three months, including June.
Responding to a series of questions from journalists as a follow-up to a sustained media campaign on counties’ non-remittance of debts to the country’s medicine supplies authority- KEMSA, Governor Njuki questioned the motive behind the push, yet it is the national government that has not released resources to counties.
According to Governor Njuki, the messaging around the debts owed by counties to KEMSA had the hallmarks of a well-thought-out and executed scheme, keen on painting counties in bad blood.
“If the National Government stuck to the law and gave us our resources on the 15th of every month, no county would have a single debt,” said the governor.
He continued; “A debt is not bad. The agreement we have with KEMSA allows counties a 90-day repayment period. Doesn’t that marry with the period counties haven’t received their equitable share?”
There has been a clamor by some officials at the national government to take over the health function and manage it from Nairobi as was before the advent of the 2010 constitution, but governors have stayed put, variously expressing gains made under devolution.
Njuki noted that counties would not hesitate to clear debts owed to KEMSA immediately after they receive their share of revenue, but also reminded the National Government to settle a Sh2 billion pledge to KEMSA to capacitate the medical agency. Counties owe KEMSA about Sh3 billion in arrears.
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