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The Council of Governors (CoG) has raised a red flag over a fresh plot to return the health function to the national government through a calculated smear campaign that portrays the devolved entities as incompetent.
The CoG is also accusing the national government of denying them their fair share, which has now crossed the Sh100 billion mark with days to go before the end of the 2023/2024 financial year.
As it stands, counties have not received their fair share from the national government for three months, including June, but the IFMIS system has reportedly been slowing down since mid-June.
Speaking on Tuesday, CoG Health Committee Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki questioned the motive behind the move when the national government has not released funds to the counties.
According to Njuki, the messaging around the counties’ debt to KEMSA had the hallmarks of a well thought out and executed plan to paint the counties in a bad light.”If the National Government stuck to the law and gave us our resources on the 15th of every month, no county would be having a debt of KEMSA,” said Njuki.
He continued; “A debt is not bad. In fact, 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 have been calls from some national government officials to take over the health function and run it from Nairobi, as was the case before the 2010 constitution, but the governors have stayed put and have variously cited the gains made under devolution.
Governor Njuki noted that counties would not hesitate to settle the Sh3 billion debt owed to KEMSA immediately after receiving their share of the revenue.
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