Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has launched a scathing attack on Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i over his directive to governors on payment of suppliers.
The stern CS announced Wednesday that the Treasury had disbursed all due funds to counties and that county heads should ensure all suppliers are paid their dues with immediate effect.
The directive by Matiangi, however, did not auger well with Murkomen, who termed it as unfair to the heads of the devolved units, who inherited debts from previous regimes for projects that might have been unverified.
The @KeTreasury has released the full allocations of the equitable share of revenue due to county governments. We expect all the devolved units that haven't honoured their obligations of paying eligible pending bills to do so without further delay. pic.twitter.com/H23Q56l1Tf
— Dr. Fred Matiang'i (@FredMatiangi) December 18, 2019
According to Murkomen, Matiang’i’s order is unconstitutional.
He further reprimanded former governors and senators trying to micro-manage counties, and especially acting Treasury CS Ukur Yattani, using President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jamhuri day conflict of interest attack against individuals representing corruption suspects in court, against his own CS.
“The CS, Treasury, who is a former governor should be careful on matters conflict of interest,” the lawmaker, who is part of the group that the head of state was referring to in his Dec. 12 speech, sarcastically wrote.
Yatani was governor of Marsabit County from 2013 to 2017.
The Senator also noted that the Director of Public Prosecution might embark on a witch-hunt of governors under the new directive.
“Governors are facing the danger of being charged by the DPP if they make wrong payments,” he noted.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is currently facing legal proceedings after he was incriminated in a corruption scheme at City Hall partly involving fraudulent payments made to suppliers.