Photo:Communication Unit
Makueni County Assembly have passed a motion seeking to decentralize accounting functions to all the six sub counties in a bid to enhance transparency and effectiveness of service delivery.
The motion moved the Majority Leader Francis Munyao and unanimously passed by the assembly on Thursday seeks to have accounting officers stationed at the sub county level.
While moving the motion, Munyao who is also the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Kilili/Nzaui ward said decentralization of the accounting services will ensure timely delivery of services to the residents of Makueni.
“Designation of accounting officers at the sub county level will ensure services of various sectors of the county government are delivered at the right time,” he said.
While supporting the motion, Emali/ Mulala MCA Cosmas Kaleli said accounting functions at the sub counties will ease and hasten some processes like procurement that have led the delay of services to residents.
“Procurement among other processes has been very slow and my hope is that the decentralization will speed up the processes,” said MCA Kaleli.
Ward representative for Kasikeu ward Paul Malinda also lauded the motion and underscored the need for the executive arm of the government to move with speed and implement the motion to ensure proper and timely utilization of the county resources.
Malinda noted that it was unacceptable for county resources to lie idle yet residents were suffering due to lack of essential services.
“It’s not in order for the government not to spend money allocated for projects when residents are suffering. I hope the move will ensure residents enjoy fruits of devolution,” he said.
An accounting officer can be defined as a person appointed by the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury as the accounting officer or, if there is no such person, the chief executive of the public entity. The accounting officer is responsible for the financial management of the Ministry’s Votes and is usually held accountable and responsible by the Parliament on the use of the public coffers.
The Accounting Officer has the power of summoning any officer to whom he has delegated authority to personally account for disbursement or commitment of public funds in case wastage and misuse is suspected. Some of the responsibilities of an accounting officer among others is to ensure that heads of procuring entities within the public entity shall comply with the provisions under the Procurement and Disposal Act and the Regulations.
With the advent of devolution, chief officers are the accounting officers and are normally appointed by the Governors and approved by the respective county assemblies.
The move to decentralize the functions in Makueni will go a long way in improving service delivery in a county that is yet to enjoy the full fruits of devolution, thanks to the constant wrangling between Governor Kivutha Kibwana and the MCAs.
