Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok found himself in a tight spot when members of the Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPISFC) issued a stern warning on the future of Bomet Municipality.
Senators demanded that Governor Barchok grant full financial and operational independence to the municipality by June 30, 2025, or face the possibility of it being downgraded.
The confrontation between the senators and the governor arose during a heated session on the management of county functions, specifically regarding the status of Bomet Municipality, which was granted municipal status in May 2018.
Despite the official designation, the municipality has continued to operate under the control of the county government, with the governor retaining authority over the budget and key functions that should have been fully transferred.
The matter was brought to light through the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 2024, which revealed the stark reality of the situation.
The report highlighted that, while the town was legally granted municipal status, it lacked the necessary independence to manage its own finances, revenues, and key administrative functions as mandated under the Municipal Charter and the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011.
Committee Chair, Senator Godfrey Osotsi, did not mince words during the session, urging the governor to explain why the municipality had not been granted the autonomy it was promised.
“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,” Osotsi remarked, expressing his frustration over the county’s failure to implement the law effectively.
Senator Raphael Chimera also questioned the disconnect between the governor’s promises and actual progress.
He pointed out the opening of a municipal bank account in January 2024, which still had no revenue deposited.
“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, emphasizing that there was a clear gap between policy pronouncements and actual implementation on the ground.
Further complicating the issue was a gazette notice from January 23, 2024, which purportedly transferred critical functions like revenue collection and waste management to the municipality.
However, Senator Sigei pointed out that despite the gazette notice, these functions had not been transferred in practice.
“If indeed this gazette notice is as legal as it should be, these resources would have been given to the municipality,” Sigei said.
“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.”
Facing mounting pressure, Governor Barchok acknowledged the challenges in fully implementing the municipality’s autonomy, attributing them to Bomet’s rural status and its limited revenue generation capabilities.
“We have faced challenges in fully implementing municipal independence as required by law,” Barchok admitted.
“However, I assure you that by the next time we appear before this committee, we will report tangible progress.”
Despite the governor’s assurances, the Senate remained firm in its stance.
Senator Osotsi issued a clear ultimatum, stating that failure to grant Bomet Municipality the necessary autonomy by the end of June 2025 would lead to serious consequences.
“We are giving you until June 30. If you fail to implement this, then perhaps you should consider downgrading the municipality,” Osotsi warned.
