Nairobi, May 27 -- The recent comedian and businessman Sammy Kioko dispute with Machakos County has once again exposed a dangerous but deeply entrenched problem within Kenya's devolved governance system: counties entering into contracts without the financial capacity to honour them.

While public attention often focuses on individual disputes between counties and suppliers, the broader issue is systemic. Counties continue to accumulate billions of shillings in pending bills owed to contractors, consultants, and small businesses that have delivered goods and services. This is no longer an accounting issue. It is becoming a governance, economic, and credibility crisis.

As of June 30, 2025, county governments collectively reported approxima...