Ruto urges Governors to cede fight for roads, cites inefficiencies by counties » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 20 – President William Ruto has urged county governors to step back from the ongoing tussle over control of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), asserting that the national government is better positioned to manage infrastructure development efficiently.
Speaking during an interdenominational Easter service in Ntulele, Narok County, President Ruto emphasized that overlapping responsibilities between the national and county governments in road infrastructure development have resulted in delays, inefficiencies, and unnecessary political tensions.
“The national government has the resources and technical capacity to deliver roads. It is wasteful for counties to construct a few kilometers of murram roads [that are] washed away by rains,” Ruto stated.
His remarks come amid mounting pressure from Governors and Senators for a share of the RMLF for counties to implement road maintenance projects that respond to local needs.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa is among the county chiefs leading the push for RMLF funding that the National Assembly has insisted remains under the national budget.
Sh10.5bn
Adding his voice to the ongoing debate, Barasa called on Members of Parliament to pass legislation allowing county governments to directly control the RMLF, contending that it is unconstitutional for the national government to manage funds meant for local infrastructure without involving counties.
“The MPs are frustrating devolution,” Barasa said during a public function in Malava Sub-county on Thursday.
“We have a right to claim close to Sh10.5 billion for counties to implement road maintenance projects more efficiently.”
Governors have demanded control of resources meant for sub-national roads including the restructuring of road agencies to conform to devolved functions.
The Kenya Roads Board collects the Roads Maintenance Levy—set at Sh25 per litre of petrol and diesel— and ditributes it to national road agencies, including the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).
The Council of Governors (CoG) has called for a legal framework to ensure allocation of a portion of the levy to counties.
CoG has argued that maintain that devolving control of the fund would enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in road construction and maintenance.