Stalemate as MPs, governors battle to control roads maintenance cash

For months now, most rural roads have remained unmotorable as counties struggle to maintain transport infrastructure.

Farmers have watched helplessly as truckloads of vegetables rot by the roadside, unable to reach markets due to knee-deep potholes.

Since the onset of heavy rains, schoolchildren have been wading through murky pools of water on what were once well-maintained roads.

Across counties, tales of suffering abound as Kenyans at the grassroots bear the brunt of a political standoff over road maintenance funds.

Kenyans continue to grapple with poor access roads as county governments and MPs fight over control of Sh10.5 billion for road rehabilitation under the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund, with lawmakers using their legislative role to block its approval and disbursement.

Despite the dire state of roads in many counties, the fund remains locked in bureaucratic wrangling, leaving Kenyans to suffer the consequences.

The disbursement of the funds has sparked fierce battles between MPs and governors, leading to a legislative impasse.

The County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2025, is currently stalled in the National Assembly as MPs insist they will not approve any allocation unless governors withdraw a court case challenging the RMLF’s management.

Yesterday, the National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who last week vowed that counties would not get the roads money, regretted that the stalemate had delayed the disbursement and was messing counties.

“The ongoing grandstanding by counties regarding the distribution of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) has regrettably derailed the County Governments’ Additional Allocation Bill, jeopardising essential public services. This political deadlock undermines the timely delivery of healthcare, infrastructure upgrades, and other vital programmes that directly impact citizens’ welfare,” the MP said.

“As a House, we will process the bill without RMLF, and let me tell them [governors], it will not pass on the floor of this House. RMLF is a live wire in this House that you will never touch,” Ichung’wah said.

MPs argue that county governments cannot be trusted with the funds, citing concerns over potential misuse and mismanagement.

The National Assembly has vowed to ensure the money remains under national government oversight, with legislators threatening to block any attempts by the Senate to introduce amendments that would reinstate RMLF.

“There is no reason why Sh10.5 billion should be lying idle while Kenyans are struggling to access markets due to poor roads. Governors must withdraw the case, or else this money will not be allocated,” Ichung’wa said.

National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed echoed Ichung’wa’s sentiments, warning that MPs will not budge unless the court case is dropped.

“On this one, we will put our foot down. If they don’t want to withdraw the case, the Bill will get stuck here and won’t go anywhere,” he warned.

However, the Council of Governors (CoG) has fired back, accusing MPs of playing politics at the expense of service delivery.

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who chairs the CoG, termed the MPs’ stance as “unpatriotic, in bad taste, and in complete ignorance of our constitutional underpinning.”

“The RMLF is a fund that was specially established to maintain roads constructed and maintained by the two levels of government. As a matter of fact, county governments construct and maintain the bulk of the road network. Blocking these funds is tantamount to denying Kenyans essential services,” Abdullahi argued.