Kumbe the Senate is not having it! They've just told the National Treasury to unfreeze Meru County's cash — arguing that punishing an entire county because of one French investor's beef is unconstitutional and frankly, a whole mess.

Senate Says Treasury Went Rogue With The Funding Freeze

Aki, this drama is getting juicier by the day. The National Treasury tried to play hardball by freezing ALL allocations to Meru County over unpaid debt to French investor Michel Dechauffour — a guy who got evicted from a tourism facility back in 2018. But yesterday, the Senate came through like a referee blowing the whistle on a dirty foul.

Senate Finance Committee chair Ali Roba wasn't mincing words. He basically asked: "Sawa, why are you invoking Article 225 when Article 190 exists?" Roba made it crystal clear that the Treasury's move was based on a flawed process and that withholding funds from an entire devolved unit undermines the whole devolution dream. The man even asked what kind of precedent this sets — can the Treasury just freeze counties whenever it feels like it? Sijui, sounds dangerous.

Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki added his two cents, warning that this move weakens devolution and opens the door for arbitrary financial punishment. "Any dispute involving debt must follow due process and involve Parliament," he said. Ndio! That's the whole point — you can't just unilaterally starve a county because of foreign investor drama.

Meru's Real Problem? Service Delivery Is Collapsing

Here's the thing that should really worry Kenyans: when you freeze county funds, it's not the politicians who suffer. It's the mwananchi trying to access healthcare, waiting for roads to be fixed, or depending on water supply. County officials have been screaming that this freeze created chaos — contractors are owed money, employees haven't been paid, and infrastructure projects are stalled in the middle of nowhere.

The Treasury's extreme move basically said: "We'll destroy essential services to collect debt." Lakini that doesn't make sense! President Ruto's office even got involved, committing Sh130.9 million to settle the remaining debt. So if the national government is already stepping in, why is Meru still being punished like a naughty schoolboy?

🗣️ What Kenya Is Saying

"This is mob justice against a county," one Twitter user fumed. "One investor's problem shouldn't become millions of residents' problem. The Treasury should follow the law."

"If this can happen to Meru, it can happen to any county," another posted. "Devolution is under siege, and the Senate just saved it — for now."

The Jukwaa Take: The Senate dropped the hammer and reminded everyone that even the Treasury can't just make up rules as it goes — devolution isn't a suggestion, it's the law of the land, sawa?

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya