Garissa County has raised concerns over persistent funding delays and declining local revenue performance, issues officials say are slowing down development progress across key sectors.
The concerns emerged during a validation workshop for the county’s Comprehensive Financial Analysis (CFA) Report, convened by the Department of Finance and Economic Planning.
The workshop brought together representatives from county departments, the national government, development partners, Garissa University, and members of the refugee community, underscoring a collaborative approach to shaping the county’s development agenda.
According to the CFA report, Garissa continues to make notable investments in critical sectors such as health, water, education, social protection, and livelihoods.
These investments, stakeholders noted, demonstrate the importance of strong partnerships in improving the well-being of both host and refugee communities in the region.
However, participants flagged significant obstacles that threaten to undermine these gains.
Chief among them were delays in national government disbursements and a persistent challenge of low local revenue collection.
These financial constraints, stakeholders said, limit the county’s ability to implement planned projects on time and maintain essential services.
To address these gaps, the workshop proposed several strategies, including strengthening revenue collection systems, exploring Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and fast-tracking the completion of the County Donor and Partnership Coordination Policy.
Such measures, they argued, would enhance transparency, improve resource mobilisation, and create a more coordinated development environment.
The validation of the CFA report marks a major step in Garissa’s efforts to build a more resilient and efficient planning framework.