Governors are now sounding an alarm over alleged attempts to claw back on the gains made on devolution by starving counties of funds.
In a spirited effort to ensure they get more funds in the next financial year, the Council of Governors (CoG) wants the Senate to ensure they receive at least Ksh.450 billion in their efforts to protect devolution.
Speaking when they appeared before the Senate Finance and Budget Committee, Governors led by CoG Chair Anne Waiguru pleaded with the Upper House to protect devolution by making sure they get resources.
“What we‘re saying is that the Senate needs to safeguard devolution and be the protector of devolution, because if you don’t do that we will find ourselves in very serious trouble and we’re not asking for any additional resources because that is the narrative…we’re just asking for our fair share,” charged Waiguru, who is also the Kirinyaga Governor.
In one accord, several Governors that attended the meeting read from the same script, asking the Senate to perform their role and ensure counties are not starved of resources and fail to execute their role.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki wondered why the national government was going back on its promise of giving 35 per cent of shareable revenue to counties and asked the Senate not to relent in trying to make sure the promise is kept.
“When my Kenya Kwanza coalition was campaigning they promised that the minimum they will give devolved functions of the shareable revenue is 35%, so we’re asking of the Senate please don’t be a party to tainting by coalition, please help them realize that they need to honor their promise of 35%,” he said.
According to the CoG, the proposed Ksh.391 billion by the National Treasury will be against the Constitution as it will be only 13% of the proposed budget.
According to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, resources are remaining at the national government despite functions being devolved.
“If you compare the entire allocation to the all the 47 counties, it is much less than what is going to a department that is only dealing with policy and dealing with less than 10 health facilities… there is something wrong with that,” he said.
“We are not here to demand for more money, we are here to demand for our fair share of our national revenue, and fair share means that any devolved function should be followed by resources,” Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire added.
The Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) has promised counties Ksh.398 billion, which has been flatly rejected by the Governors.
By Citizen Digital