Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka has called for a renewed commitment to strengthening the independence of counties. Lusaka voiced concern that the frosty inter-governmental relationship was unhealthy for devolution.

“The relationship between the national government and the counties has always not been smooth. Conflicts over resource allocation, revenue sharing formulas and overlapping responsibilities have occasionally hampered the effectiveness of devolution,” Lusaka observed.

He highlighted that a clear delegation of roles and responsibilities undersigned for the counties is necessary for fostering harmonious relationships and ensuring efficient service delivery.

Governor Lusaka, who spoke during Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s State of the County address at Tom Mboya Labour College on Friday, proposed the establishment of dialogue platforms between national and county governments to resolve the conflicts and promote collaborations.

“The national government must ensure timely disbursement of funds to counties to avoid disruption in service delivery,” he said, noting that devolution had brought significant transformative change across various regions, ensuring inclusivity and equality are entrenched in communities, including those marginalised.

Lusaka pointed out that despite the notable milestone of devolution, the full potential is yet to be realised as most counties still grapple with financial challenges in their annual budgets.

Lusaka emphasised the need for the counties to diversify revenue streams through innovation, a move that would help enhance their own-source revenue collection and bridge the budgetary gaps.

“The revenue collected at the county level remains insufficient to meet growing demands forcing counties to grapple with deficits leading to budgetary gaps,” he said.