The Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPISFC) has issued an ultimatum to Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok regarding the status of Bomet Municipality.
In a committee meeting where the Governor was invited on Friday, March 28, to respond to queries about why Bomet Municipality is being operated by the County government despite being granted autonomy, the Senate demanded full autonomy for Bomet Municipality by June 30 or face the possibility of its downgrade.
The municipality’s lack of operational, financial, and managerial independence is at the heart of the issue, despite being granted a charter in May 2018.
Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi challenged the Governor’s administration, questioning its reluctance to implement full municipal independence.
“Governor, you need to clarify for us 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.”
Barchok Given Ultimatum to Grant Bomet Municipality Autonomy
The Senate noted that the Governor’s administration has retained control over the municipality’s budget and key functions mandated under the Municipal Charter and the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011, which has fueled frustrations among senators.
Senator Raphael Chimera expressed his displeasure with the administration’s failure to grant the municipality full financial control.
“Governor, you cannot claim to have granted independence to the municipality while denying it the power to collect revenue and manage its finances.”
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He further questioned the opening of a municipal bank account in January when no revenue had been deposited, highlighting the inconsistency in policy execution.
Senator Sigei further criticized the situation, pointing to 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,” he remarked.
“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.”
Bomet Governor’s Defense
Senator Peris Tobiko also pressed the Governor on his assertion that the municipality was “not ready” to operate independently.
“All conditions, parameters, and requirements were considered before Bomet qualified to become a municipality,” she stated. Tobiko questioned why the Governor was now changing his stance, despite previous assessments confirming that the municipality met the required criteria, raising concerns over the sudden shift in position.
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In response, Governor 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,” he admitted. “However, I commit that by the next time we appear before this committee, we will report tangible progress.”
Despite his assurances, Senator Osotsi remained firm: “We are giving you until June 30. If you fail to implement this, then perhaps you should consider downgrading the municipality.”
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