The Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPISFC) has issued an ultimatum to Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok over the autonomy of Bomet Municipality.
Barchok, who appeared before the Committee on Friday, March 28, was given until June 30, 2025, to grant the Bomet Municipality full independence or face the possibility of its downgrade.
According to the Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2024, the municipality has lacked operational, financial, and managerial independence, despite being granted a charter in May 2018.
The Bomet County Government has retained control over the municipality’s budget and key functions mandated under the Municipal Charter and the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011.
“Governor, you need to be clear with us on where the problem lies. The law granting municipalities independence seems inconvenient for you. It is taking away some of your authority, and you are resisting silently,” Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi told Governor Barchok.
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Senator Raphael Chimera expressed his frustration, questioning why a municipal bank account was opened in January if no revenue was being deposited, pointing to the disconnect between policy pronouncements and implementation.
“Governor, you cannot claim to have granted independence to the municipality while denying it the power to collect revenue and manage its finances,” Chimera stated.
Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei, on his part, criticized the situation, citing a gazette notice from January 23, 2024, which purportedly transferred critical functions like revenue collection and waste management to the municipality.
“If indeed this gazette notice is as legal as it should be, these resources would have been given to the municipality. But instead, this is a municipality on paper only. We will not accept responses claiming a lack of resources or capacity when the board itself appears nonfunctional,” said the Bomet Senator.
Barchok acknowledged the challenges, attributing them to Bomet’s status as a rural county with low revenue collection.
“We have struggled to fully implement municipal independence as prescribed by law. However, I commit that by the next time we appear before this committee, we will report tangible progress,” he stated.
