Road funds standoff deepens as Governor Nassir faults national government

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has opened a new front in the battle between county governments and the national administration by accusing officials in Nairobi of mishandling road maintenance funds meant for counties.

Nassir said it was wrong for people unfamiliar with the needs on the ground to decide how billions for county roadworks are spent, warning that neglect was making life harder for ordinary citizens.

His complaint adds to the rising dispute between President William Ruto and county chiefs over the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF).

President Ruto has stood firm, calling on governors to abandon demands to control the fund, saying the money will continue being managed centrally.

His stand has sharpened his rivalry with opposition leader Raila Odinga, who argues that road maintenance is a county function under the Constitution.

Mombasa residents have been especially hard hit, with roads becoming waterlogged and riddled with potholes following heavy rains.

Nassir demanded answers, questioning the decision to centralize control over money meant for urgent repairs.

"Why should the national government stay with the money? How is it that a person who doesn’t even know Mombasa decides on spending?" Nassir asked.

The governor said it made no sense for millions of shillings to sit idle in Nairobi while communities continue to suffer.

He lamented that despite national agencies like the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) being tasked with maintenance, governors are the ones who bear the blame when roads fall into disrepair.

"Nobody knows the Director General of Kenha or Kura. I get blamed," he said.

Nassir revealed that the county had written to the national government proposing to fix the roads directly if the national agencies were unable to act.

"It is us who have the shoe and know where it pinches," he said, criticizing the practice of locking away money needed urgently on the ground.

Meanwhile, Mombasa residents continue to battle decaying roads, a worsening problem that becomes critical every time it rains heavily.