Enact Law to Curb Mismanagement of Funds, Treasury CS

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Amb. Ukur Yatani has called on senators to formulate a law to deal with mismanagement of funds.

Yatani said the Senate can enact a law that compels National Treasury to stop transfer of resources when they see that there is complete abuse.

Speaking during the induction of senators on the role of the Senate in the budget process, Yatani noted that it is the responsibility of senators as custodians of devolution to look at administrative challenges, mismanagement and corruption at the county level.

Yatani challenged senators to interrogate the use of Funds in counties to avoid abuse, noting that one of the critical roles of the Senate and the National Treasury is to ensure there is prudence in management of public resources.

He decried delays in disbursement of funds to counties attributing it to litigation issues.

Similarly Yatani said differences between the Senate and National Assembly on the legal instrument through which Equalisation Fund allocations are to be transferred to counties.

Additionally the CS said, Litigation on Equalisation Fund Guidelines has also contributed negatively to the flow of funds in counties.

Equalisation Fund Guidelines of 2015 were quashed leading to delay in implementation of the Fund.

“The National Treasury has since then prepared the Public Finance (Equalisation Fund Administration) Regulation 2021, which has since then been adopted by Parliament to facilitate allocation and transfer of funds from the Equalisation Fund.” Said Yatani.

He also cited delay in approval of the County Governments Additional Allocation Bill 2022 as a challenge affecting disbursement of funds.

CS Yatani denied claims that the Treasury is broke, terming it ignorant. 

“Government doesn’t collect money and keep it. We collect money on a daily basis and distribute it on competing needs.”