Nyeri Governor, Mutahi Kahiga, has issued a strong warning, stating that he will be forced to send county government employees home if the National Treasury fails to remit funds by Friday.

The persistent delays in funding have had a detrimental impact on various aspects of county operations, including staff salaries, contractor payments, and the procurement of medicine.

During a speech at the Nyeri Town Hall, Governor Kahiga expressed his frustration, highlighting the financial constraints that have hindered the smooth functioning of the county.

He emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that without the necessary funds, he cannot sustain the county's operations.

Some employees are struggling to afford transportation to work, further compounding the challenges they face.

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Kahiga announced that workers would be allowed to rest until funds are made available, and they can resume their duties.

"I will be sending my workers home so that they can rest because I do not have money to run the county. Some of them do not even have fare to come to work. They can resume duty once I have money," Kahig said.

The governor called upon Njuguna Ndung’u, the Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury, to promptly release the allocated funds to prevent an imminent crisis.

He emphasized that the non-remittance of funds to county governments jeopardizes essential services, leading to potential strikes by doctors and shortages of medicine, which can have fatal consequences for patients.

Governor Kahiga argued that withholding funds is equivalent to shutting down county governments and depriving them of their rightful authority.

He stressed that such actions are unacceptable under the law. According to established procedures, after deducting a portion for national debt repayment, the National Treasury is obliged to remit a minimum of 15 per cent of the national revenue to the counties.

Failure to fulfil this obligation disrupts the functioning of the devolved units and compromises their ability to carry out their mandated responsibilities.

"Not remitting the money to county governments is akin to wanting them shut down or making the devolved units action-less and with no mandate or authority, " he said.

"This is not acceptable by law because once taxes are collected, the National Treasury after offsetting a percentage of the national debt should remit monies to counties which should not be less than 15 per cent of national revenue."

Highlighting the dire situation, Governor Kahiga pointed out that the counties had last received funds in March.

Consequently, some counties have resorted to borrowing from financial institutions, incurring additional expenses.

The governor criticized this approach, asserting that it is futile and restricts county governments to the bare minimum of paying salaries, with little else they can accomplish in terms of essential services.

Kahiga's ultimatum reflects the growing frustration among county officials due to delayed funds from the National Treasury.