Governors accuse State of underfunding counties

By VITALIS KIMUTAI and FELIX OLICK

Governors have accused the Government of starving devolved units funds and re-directing the money to roll out Jubilee pre-election pledges.

They claim the Jubilee Government was withholding more than Sh40 billion meant for county governments to fund pledges in the coalition’s manifesto.

The Treasury is accused of usurping the mandate of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) chaired by Micah Cheserem, which has under Article 216 of the Constitution been given the responsibility to develop the fairest formula to share national revenue among the counties.

Now, Governors have roped in MPs and Senators to protect the devolved governments and ensure devolution is actualised.

They also want Kenyans to reject attempts to kill devolution through denial and withholding of adequate resources.

Yesterday, it emerged the Council of Governors chaired by Isaac Rutto (Bomet) and Evans Kidero (Nairobi) has written to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto detailing their grievances over the lopsided allocation of resources.

“We have written to the President and the Deputy President on the issues we are raising. We feel a meeting should urgently be convened to address the matter,” Rutto said in Nairobi.

A meeting between Governors and the Treasury officers on Tuesday did not bear any fruit with the county leaders demanding all the money be released as previously allocated.

“The Division of Revenue Bill as presented before the National Assembly follows the Treasury’s skewed historical resources allocation which has a negative impact on development in all counties in the country as the amount apportioned are only sufficient for recurrent cost and not development,” Rutto said.

Inequitable distribution

He added: “We are urging the National Assembly and Senate as they debate on the Division of Revenue Bill 2013/2014 not to relent on their support for the CRA formula.”

They said CRA had recommended an allocation of Sh231 billion in the 2012/2013 budget, which works out at 14.3 per cent, but the Treasury wanted to reduce it to Sh175 billion translating to 10.93 per cent of the revenue in the current budget.

“This is not only unconstitutional but unacceptable and reduces devolved governments to mere agents for paying salaries with no development,” Rutto stated.

In the strongly worded statement, the Governors said the allocation would entrench inequitable distribution of resources to the counties, which the people wanted to defeat when they voted for the new Constitution.

They were addressing the press after a meeting at Nairobi County headquarters yesterday attended by among others — James Ongwae (Kisii), Ken Lusaka (Bungoma), Peter Munya (Meru), Jack Ranguma (Kisumu), Nderitu Gachagua (Nyeri), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Cornel Rasanga (Siaya), Josephat Nanok, (Turkana).

“What will the Ministry of Devolution be using the Sh84 billion it has been allocated in the budget for?” one Governor wondered.