Governor James Orengo addressing members of the public at a past event. Photo courtesy.
Governor James Orengo of Siaya County has threatened to stop all the county operations in the county following the national government’s delay to remit funds to the counties.
Governor Orengo said that several counties are unable to pay their employees due to the national government’s reluctance, making doctors in some countries to hang their boots.
“We cannot be telling employees to work yet their salaries are not being paid. Already doctors in other counties have gone on strike not because they are demanding pay rise, but due to delayed salaries,” said Orengo.
He has told the residents to be ready for the shutdown of all operations in all county departments saying that he is unable to run the county without funds.
Following the situation, governor Orengo has therefore, given the national treasury a grace period oof two weeks to remit the funds without which he will stop all the county operations.
He said that the funds being disbursed to the counties as equitable funds share include the salaries and wages to the county employees and the delay is a great drawback to the counties.
“Salaries and wages is part of the funds we receive from the national treasury as equitable share. That means that even me I cannot work without being paid,” added the governor.
Orengo’s message to the national treasury follows the Council of Governors’ resolutions for a total shut down of county activities due to lack of funds.
“When the council of governors was talking about a shutdown, it meant a total shutdown because it is from the funds disbursed that we get to pay our employees from, he added.
This is not the first instance of such allegations as the governors from the lake region also complained about the same during the 11th summit of the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB).
Delayed funds disbursement to the counties has been a challenge to the devolution since its inception in 2013.
This got worse especially with the transfer of Ministry of Health to the County. As a matter of fact, a repetitive trend of doctors striking due to delayed payment and demand for pay rise.
Some experts have alluded the lack or delayed county remittance to the decision by President William Ruto to kill the Ministry of Devolved Government in his administration.
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