Tensions between governors and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) have escalated in several counties, stalling key services and paralysing development due to persistent political wrangles, budget standoffs and personal vendettas.

The Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, has warned that these disputes are hampering progress and derailing the promise of devolution.

Nyakang’o described the relationship between some governors and assemblies as “dysfunctional” and filled with rivalry that places personal and political interests above the needs of citizens.

She raised the alarm over worsening friction in Bungoma, Machakos, Isiolo, Nyamira and Meru, where service delivery has ground to a halt amid infighting and legal disputes.

“These wrangles are affecting service delivery significantly,” she said.

In Bungoma, what began as a disagreement over budget priorities has escalated into a full legal standoff. The county assembly disbanded the budget committee and replaced it with an ad hoc team that altered the executive’s budget proposal.

“There is a serious case in Bungoma. The assembly disbanded the budget committee and formed an ad hoc one, which then mutilated the proposed budget. They passed their own version using coercive tactics,” Nyakang’o revealed.

The conflict has since moved to the courts, which barred the disbursement of funds, freezing all operations and disrupting Governor Kenneth Lusaka’s development agenda.

A similar pattern has played out in Nyamira, where tensions exploded after an unsuccessful attempt to impeach Governor Amos Nyaribo.

The political fallout saw Speaker Enoch Okero removed for allegedly siding with the governor’s allies, triggering the emergence of two separate assemblies.

One faction, led by Okero, dubbed itself Bunge Mashinani and conducted sittings outside the official premises. Surprisingly, the executive began forwarding its business to this group.

The matter attracted Senate attention, and a committee – alongside a Bomet court , declared Bunge Mashinani illegal and ordered its participants surcharged.

Eventually, Thaddeus Nyabaro was elected speaker, and a new committee recommended the removal of 12 MCAs allied with Okero for skipping eight sessions.

However, the suspended members challenged the decision and secured a court order lifting their suspension. They have also questioned the legality of Nyabaro’s election.

In Isiolo, leadership disputes have engulfed the assembly, with two individuals – Abdullahi Banticha and Mohamed Koto – both claiming to be the legitimate speaker.

The conflict deepened following the impeachment of Governor Abdi Guyo, a decision later nullified by the Senate due to procedural flaws.

The assembly is also entangled in a fight over the position of clerk. Salad Guracha, who initially gazetted Banticha’s appointment, later revoked it and backed Koto, despite previously being suspended by him.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has since issued conservatory orders stopping Banticha’s removal until the case is heard.

“This kind of confusion renders county assemblies deeply dysfunctional,” Nyakang’o said.

Machakos has not been spared. The assembly was thrown into chaos after Speaker Ann Kiusya removed minority leader Julius Ndawa over accusations of disloyalty.

The situation worsened when she attempted to oust majority leader Nicholas Nzioka, who is believed to be close to the executive.

The announcements triggered shouting matches and physical altercations, prompting Kiusya to suspend House sittings indefinitely on April 8.

The Senate Devolution Committee intervened after the prolonged standoff and directed the resumption of plenary sessions and legislative duties.

Nzioka later told the Senate committee, “She usurped the assembly’s legislative mandate. Her decision to suspend sittings lacks a legal basis and is impairing governance and service delivery.”

Elsewhere, counties such as Kilifi, Kakamega, Kericho, Wajir and Nandi have experienced similar battles, mostly involving interference by governors in legislative affairs or power tussles among MCAs.

According to Nyakang’o, this lack of unity has resulted in fragmented development, as leaders struggle to agree on priority areas. “We’ve seen cases where MCAs insist on spreading resources thinly. Because of mistrust, they can’t focus on completing one project before moving to another. Everyone wants their own share, regardless of the bigger development picture,” she said.

She highlighted Meru as a prime example, where repeated battles over who controls development funds have led to incomplete and scattered projects. “The result is scattered, half-baked projects that serve no one,” she observed.

Nyakang’o further warned that assemblies are sometimes resorting to what she described as political blackmail – intentionally delaying or altering proposals to settle scores or extract political favours from governors.

“The assembly sometimes acts not out of necessity but to punish the executive. Unfortunately, this only ends up hurting the people they represent,” she said.

As counties begin a new financial year amid growing public demands, the Controller’s concerns raise questions about the sustainability of the current devolution model, especially when institutions designed to serve the public are caught in unending power plays.