NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 12 – Newly elected Council of Governors (CoG) chair Muthomi Njuki has set a target of at least Sh500 billion in funding for counties, vowing to push for more resources even as he maintains close political ties with President William Ruto’s government.

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Njuki, who is also the Tharaka Nithi governor, said he would put the interests of county governments ahead of his Kenya Kwanza political alignment, promising to remain firm in negotiations over funding for devolved services.

“My commitment will be to the needs of the Council of Governors rather than the party that I’m elected in,” Njuki said, pledging to protect devolution at a time when counties are demanding more money to meet their responsibilities.

He argued that county functions had continued to expand while funding had failed to keep pace, forcing governors to negotiate for additional allocations every year.

📌 What You Need to Know

“We are targeting a minimum of half a trillion to be able to take care of the devolved functions which we believe mostly are still not funded,” he said.

The new CoG chair identified the National Assembly as a major point of disagreement in negotiations over devolution, saying disputes over funding and institutional power had repeatedly slowed progress.

He pledged to engage Parliament’s leadership to improve relations and push for decisions that support county governments.

“Devolution is not just for governors and the county governments, but for everyone in Kenya, and it should be supported where it matters most, where the decisions of finance are made,” Njuki said.

Njuki said the new CoG leadership would seek a more cordial relationship with MPs while remaining firm on the resources counties need to deliver services.

Njuki also sought to assure fellow governors that his relationship with the Kenya Kwanza administration would not prevent him from challenging decisions that disadvantage counties.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya