Ottichilo faults national govt for holding most of devolved funds
By Kiprono Keileb, August 13, 2025Vihiga County Governor Wilber Ottichilo has faulted the national government for withholding a significant portion of funds for fully devolved functions, warning that the move is severely undermining counties’ ability to fulfil their mandates.
Speaking during a morning talk show aired by a local television station on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Ottichilo said the problem is especially evident in critical sectors such as health and education, where the counties are responsible for running services but receive only a fraction of the resources.
“There are challenges counties are going through. For example, health is fully devolved, and counties are responsible for the doctors, nurses and everything, but when you see the amount of money devolved to the health sector, it is less than 10% of what remains at the national level, yet the national government is supposed to just do coordination and policy, but most of the money remains there,” said Ottichilo.
The governor argued that the arrangement leaves counties struggling to pay staff and provide adequate services while the national government retains the bulk of resources, contrary to the principles of devolution.
Funds controlled from the centre
Ottichilo said the centralisation of financial control extends to grants and loans sourced from external partners, noting that counties have little say in how these resources are allocated or spent.
“The national government is the only one to negotiate grants and loans. When they negotiate these loans and grants, they administer the programmes from the headquarters, then the counties become just receivers who only get what the national government wants them to get,” he said.
According to Ottichilo, this system undermines the spirit of devolution because it limits counties’ autonomy and prevents them from aligning funding with their specific needs. He insisted that the solution lies in ensuring that resources follow functions as outlined in the Constitution.
“The health and education sector and education would have done well, but money is retained in the national government instead of following the function,” he said.
Ottichilo’s remarks come at a time when governors and other county leaders have been calling for a review of the allocation formula to ensure equitable and timely disbursement of funds. He maintained that without a shift in how devolved funds are handled, counties will continue to face service delivery challenges, particularly in essential sectors that directly affect citizens’ welfare.