The Senate has finally drawn a line in the sand. In a decisive move to enforce fiscal discipline, the House has barred the County Government of Trans Nzoia from accessing its revenue funds until it settles a humiliating debt of KES 52 million owed to former employees.

The drama unfolded at the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), where Governor George Natembeya appeared to answer for the financial sins of his administration. The issue at hand is the unpaid gratuity for staff whose contracts ended years ago—retirees who are now languishing in poverty while the county pleads poverty.

"Financial Recklessness"

Senator Moses Kajwang’, chair of the committee, did not mince words. "It is immoral for a government to use the services of its people and then discard them like old rags without their dues," he said. "You cannot run a government on the tears of retirees."

Governor Natembeya admitted the non-payment, citing "financial constraints" and inherited debts. However, this defense rang hollow against the backdrop of other revelations. The committee unearthed a separate scandal involving KES 30 million in unsecured loans allegedly awarded to senior county officials.

The Double Standard

• The Looting: Officials taking car loans and mortgages without security, some of whom have already left the county service without repaying a cent.
• The Neglect: Lower-cadre staff waiting four years for their statutory benefits.

The Senate’s directive is clear: come up with a payment plan or shut down operations. This standoff highlights a systemic rot in devolution, where recurrent expenditure is prioritized for the elite while statutory obligations to workers are treated as optional.

For the retirees of Trans Nzoia, the Senate’s intervention is a glimmer of hope. But until the money hits their accounts, it is just another headline.