𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐃𝐒𝐏 𝐈𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩.

Kakamega Governor and Chair of the Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs Committee at the Council of Governors (CoG), H.E. FCPA Fernandes Barasa, OGW, officially opened a sensitization workshop for County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for Finance at Lake Naivasha Resort. The workshop aimed to review the progress of the Kenya Devolution Support Programme Phase II (KDSP II) and discuss emerging issues in planning, budgeting, and reporting for conditional grants.

In his address, Governor Barasa emphasized the need for counties to align their operations with tools and frameworks being developed by national-level implementing agencies. These include revenue forecasting models, revenue mapping guidelines, pending bills action templates, validation checklists, project stocktaking templates, and investment project screening guidelines. He noted that these tools, now adopted by the CoG Finance Committee, must be incorporated into county plans for the upcoming financial year. He called on CECMs for Finance to take the lead in implementing these reforms to build financially sustainable and citizen-centered county governments.

The Governor also raised concern over national agencies bypassing intergovernmental structures in engaging County Officers, which undermines coordination and effective implementation. He urged all engagements to be channeled through the Council of Governors for structured participation and accountability. Governor Barasa concluded by commending all national agencies supporting KDSP II and called for sustained collaboration to strengthen devolution and promote transparency, efficiency, and resilience in county governance.