The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) has overseen the transfer of more than 99 per cent of functions, assets and resources from the national government to Kenya’s 47 counties.
Speaking in Naivasha during the induction of newly elected committee members, IGRTC Chair Kithinji Kiragu said the transfer had been completed within the set timelines.
Kiragu said the National Treasury was on course to provide, in the current financial year’s budget, the resources required to complete the remaining transfers.
“The IGRTC has so far overseen the transfer of over 99 per cent of functions and relevant resources from the national government to the counties as per the timelines given,” he said.
He said the committee had also conducted an assessment of devolution to identify gaps and recommend measures needed to support the socio-economic transformation of county governments.
Kiragu added that IGRTC was working with various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to coordinate and streamline working relations between the two levels of government in executing their respective mandates.
Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi commended the committee for overseeing the transfer of devolved functions, assets and resources, saying this was critical for efficient service delivery by counties.
Abdullahi, who is also Wajir Governor, said equitable revenue allocation from the National Treasury to counties had increased significantly, rising from about Sh190 billion in 2013 to Sh428 billion currently.
He called for the unbundling and transfer of the remaining functions, assets and resources to counties to hasten service delivery to residents.
Abdullahi also lauded the National Treasury for ensuring timely release of equitable share allocations to counties, saying this had helped county governments sustain service delivery to citizens.
He credited IGRTC with using Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms to settle disputes between the two levels of government, helping to ease tensions and strengthen cooperation.
Devolution Principal Secretary Michael Lenasalon said IGRTC remained central to developing policies needed to unlock the full potential of devolution.
Lenasalon said eight sector forums on devolution were already operational and that the government was working towards operationalising the remaining forums.
The Transition to Devolved Government Act, 2012 established the Transition Authority to oversee the transfer of functions following the March 2013 elections.
IGRTC was subsequently established under the Intergovernmental Relations Act, 2012, as the technical secretariat for intergovernmental relations.
The committee plays a key role in facilitating consultation and cooperation between the national and county governments as they implement devolved functions.
by Erastus Gichohi and Orpah Gesare
