Ruto laments nicknames as he pleads with governors to help raise resources
By Luke Oluoch, August 27, 2025President William Ruto has decried earning nicknames in his quest for enhanced resources for the county and the various devolved units of the country.
Speaking during the Katiba Day celebrations at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Ruto pleaded with governors to take an active role in mobilising the resources, stressing that the county bosses cannot sit back and leave the onus on him.
“I also want to ask for the assistance of my assistants, the county government leaders, and the governors. The job of mobilising resources is very difficult. As I mobilise resources nationally, I want you to assist me to mobilise resources at the county level,” he stated.
“Do not leave the business of mobilising resources to me. In the process of mobilising resources so that I can transfer more into the counties, I have acquired names, including Zakayo,” he pleaded.
While highlighting the immense gains achieved since the promulgation of the 2010 constitution that kick-started the devolution, Ruto revealed that over Ksh4 trillion has been disbursed to counties since the promulgation.
He expressed the government’s commitment to the call of the Council of Governors to enhance allocation to counties, voiced by their chair, Abdullahi Ahmed.
The head of state, however, challenged the governor to join the hard work of raising more resources for counties, stating that most of them were taking a backseat in that quest.
“No county governor wants to raise resources locally, although the law now exists for on-source revenue. I would want to ask of you, please. As you urge me to transfer more resources, look at the opportunity to mobilise locally. If you are called Zakayo, it will not make any difference, it is still okay,” he implored.
Ruto stressed that while financial resources may not always meet every need, there is still enough to deliver meaningful services to citizens. The bigger challenge, he emphasised, lies not in the scarcity of funds but in ensuring efficient and effective use of the resources available.
“Despite operating within a tough fiscal space, the government has cleared all balances owed to counties in the just-ended financial year. In the 12 years since the birth of devolution, we have transferred a total of Sh4 trillion to counties. Every corner of Kenya now has a functional county government,” he stated.