Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
In a statement on Wednesday, the governor said the county government “does not condone violence in any form” following an incident in Machakos Town on March 31, urging all parties “to exercise restraint and allow lawful and orderly processes to prevail.”
The outstanding legal fees are linked to court matters dating back to 2013. MPs said the commission must hold discussions with the affected law firms and work out an arrangement on settling the bills that have accumulated over time.
State House leads in additional allocations, receiving Sh8.4 billion after its recurrent budget was exhausted by the seventh month of the financial year.
MPs warn a Sh59.9 billion funding shortfall in Kenya’s 2026/27 agriculture budget could stall key fertiliser, livestock and value chain programmes, undermining food security and export crop revival plans.
Speaking at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, during a briefing on ongoing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects under the Ministry of Roads and Transport, Kindiki said the pending bills, which had accumulated since 2020, had disrupted the construction of approximately 6,000 kilometers of roads across the country.
A recent report from the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), submitted to Parliament, reveals that at least 17 counties owe more than 20 per cent of their annual revenue in pending bills.
The Controller of Budget highlighted that many counties have not followed their payment schedules, violating regulations that require trade payables to be prioritized. Regulation 55(2)(b) of the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015, stipulates that all eligible pending bills must be treated as a first charge in county budgets, including for the 2025-26 financial year.
In a dispatch issued after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, the government said all outstanding obligations up to December 31, 2024, had been cleared, with payments totaling Sh123 billion.
The National Assembly Public Investment Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy, chaired by Pokot South MP David Pkosing, said its examination of road and transport institutions shows that billions of shillings earmarked for key works have not been properly managed.
Governor Sakaja credited the drop to changes at City Hall aimed at improving efficiency in revenue collection. According to him, Nairobi is recording stronger own-source revenue than at any other time since devolution began.
The Kenya Publishers Association said the pending bills, tied to supplies made earlier this year for Grade Nine and other levels, have created financial pressure across the publishing chain.
During the 2024/25 financial year, the County Executive cleared Sh7.56 billion in debts, with Sh5.84 billion going to recurrent programmes and Sh1.72 billion to development. The County Assembly, on its part, paid Sh283.17 million, mainly to recurrent activities.