Meru County Assembly Speaker Ayub Bundi has called on the National government to assist counties in clearing mounting pending bills, warning that the issue could lead to legal action against county assemblies.
Speaker Bundi raised concern that the Meru County Assembly is among several devolved units likely to face lawsuits due to unpaid bills.
He attributed the challenge to the lack of financial autonomy previously experienced by county assemblies, noting that assemblies were at the mercy of governors in accessing allocated funds.
“We risk being taken to court over pending bills only because we didn’t have the autonomy to settle them. If we had direct access to funds, we would have paid a long time ago,” Bundi said.
He applauded President William Ruto for recently assenting to a law granting fiscal and administrative independence to county assemblies, a move he said would empower counties to manage their affairs better.
Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi drafted the Bill.
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“No pending bills should be rolled over to the next financial year. With direct access to funds, assemblies can effectively plan, implement projects, and independently carry out their oversight roles,” Bundi said.
He revealed that a county assembly office construction project had stalled due to the former Meru Governor’s refusal to release the allocated funds, despite the assembly having issued multiple official requests.
Bundi also raised concerns about corruption in Parliament and the Senate, particularly during audits of public institutions.
He condemned the alleged practice of demanding bribes in exchange for clearing audit queries.
“If an institution or individual is asked for Sh 5 million or Sh 10 million as kickbacks, where is that money supposed to come from?” he posed.
His remarks come days after President Ruto accused lawmakers of corruption, claiming that some senators demand up to Sh150 million from governors during Senate hearings.
The claims have sparked a political firestorm, with both MPs and senators demanding that the President table evidence to support his allegations.
By John Majau
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