The Council of Governors (CoG) has issued a hard-hitting statement accusing the national government of undermining devolution through unilateral decisions on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staffing and the rollout of the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
In an Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting convened to deliberate on key issues affecting service delivery, the county bosses reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening healthcare but insisted that UHC staff absorption must follow due process.
“Counties will only take on verified staff once adequate resources are provided,” the Council declared, demanding Ksh 7.7 billion for salaries, settlement of Ksh 9.4 billion in gratuity by the Ministry of Health, and joint validation of the ongoing verification exercise. “Counties cannot and will not be burdened with unfunded mandates,” they warned.
On procurement reforms, the governors blasted the rushed rollout of the e-GP system, saying it has disrupted service delivery, particularly in the health sector. They noted that with only three counties having participated in the pilot phase, the system was rolled out nationally without addressing critical gaps.
The CoG has now called on the National Treasury to withdraw the directive immediately and initiate proper consultations, ensure legal alignment, and provide capacity-building before any further implementation.
“The Council of Governors remains steadfast in its commitment to protect devolution and ensure that service delivery to citizens is not compromised,” the statement read.
