Sonko calls for aggressive collection of revenue to settle county debts

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Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko today joined stakeholders as the Nairobi County Assembly prepared to resume its sittings for the 3rd Session of the Second Assembly.

The Governor says that he trusts they  had a restful recess, and are now rejuvenated and ready to tackle the challenge of the session that awaits them.

He also added that Nairobi residents have a lot of hope in Devolution, and as the representatives of the people in the grassroots, they have a great responsibility on their shoulders.

 ‘What Lies Ahead’ was the theme of the meeting today, and Sonko noted that important for the Members of county assembly  to chart their path while always listening to their stakeholders.

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“We live in a time when the foundations of Devolution were laid, but the structures are not complete. We are at a time when county governments took over devolved roles and functions, but without enough resources to manage them.” he said

Sonko revealed that Nairobi County Government in particular has been grappling with a huge debt they inherited of Sh60 billion.

“This, coupled with a huge staff wage bill that takes up almost every Shilling that we collect as revenue puts us in a difficult position.” he noted

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He also emphasized that they have no choice but to be innovative and aggressively collect revenue so that they have more than just enough for survival.

“We need to have enough revenue to settle our debts, and leave enough for new development projects.”

It is in this regard Sonko directed that all sectors to present regular reports on progress towards achieving their individual revenue targets.

 

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