Ayacko to be summoned in Senate over pending bills, MCAs should oversight how funds are spent- EDDY

September 28, 2024 - Migori County, Nyanza News - no comments

BY MANUEL ODENY

SUBCRIBE: ICYMI BARE-KNUCKLE: EDDY OKETCH vs OCHILLO AYACKO, WHO WON??

Miigori governor Ochillo Ayacko will appear before the senate to shed light into county pending bills, senator Eddy Oketch has revealed.

Oketch said he sought a statement from the county over pending bills and the governor is set to be summoned soon.

He was speaking to the press in Migori town on Saturday over issues surrounding oending bills and release of exchequer funds to the devolved unit.

“The governor has been summoned before the senate and we will ask him on pending bills,” he said.

Oketch comment comes after earlier this week Ayacko took to the press and his official Facebook page to decry that delays of release of exchequer funds saw the county offices and referral hospital go without electricity over pending bills amounting to millions.

Ayacko said it took his call to Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi to have Kenya Power reconnect the offices and other vital department like health and ICT to the national grid.

Oketch said since the start of devolution, the exchequer has released funds to the county until June this year.

Only funds for July, August and September are yet to be released which Oketch said has been delayed over failure by parliament to pass the last financial bill.

“The problem is faced across all counties, but as senate we know the total amount of this pending amount (Sh32bn) will be released next week,” Oketch said.

He said the delays too have been caused by division of revenue act where the national government wanted to reduce the amount given to counties by Sh20billion.

“As senators we refused to have any amount reduced because counties had committed money to contractors and workers which is reduced will affect devolution,” he explained.

Oketch called on MCAs to up their role on oversight on how Ayacko and his administration are using funds allocated in County Integrated Development Plan vis-a-vis what is in the budget.

“MCAs have same committees like those in the senate and they are the front line in the first oversight role,” Oketch said.

He said senators oversight role comes on queries raised by the auditor general in reports and other investigating authorities.

“As senators we will do our oversight through the Public Investment Commitee when we hold governors to account, MCAs too can do the same for the day to day runnning of county departments as they are based in the grass roots,” he saud.