There is no turning back on plan to shut down counties due to cash crunch, says Oparanya

Kenya's Council of Governors Chairman, Wycliffe Oparanya has said that there is no turning back on their plan to shut down counties on September 17 due to a biting cash crunch.

He said on Tuesday that the 47 devolved units are suffering and the only way to end their pain is for the National Treasury to release funds for running operations.

"The plan to shut down counties on September 17 is on. Our bare minimum is that counties get at least 50 percent of the shareable revenue as advised by the Supreme Court, or at the very least, the release of the full allocations for the months of July, August, and September," said Oparanya.

"If nothing happens, then we will have no choice but to shut down counties and no service shall be offered." The Kakamega governor blamed the Senate for what he said was making a bad situation worse.

"These people are not serious. In fact, this Senate should just be dissolved. We asked them to pass the County Allocation Revenue Bill so we can get the money as they continue the debate on the revenue sharing formula. But they have tied everything to this formula, and it is the counties that are now suffering," Oparanya said.