North Rift governors dance to referendum tune

By Titus Too

Governors in the North Rift region are in support of the planned national referendum to compel the government to increase funds to the counties.

The leaders vowed to rally behind crusaders of the referendum on devolution pointing out that plans are already underway to collect signatures to facilitate it.

They want allocations increased to give counties more capacity to deliver quality and effective services to Kenyans who voted for the new constitution.

Mr Daniel Kiprotich, the Uasin Gishu county deputy governor stated that he is optimistic their move will receive massive support from the electorates.

Kiprotich said counties are closer to the electorates and that they should get adequate funds to develop all sectors of the economy.

He revealed that they are marshalling Members of County Assembly (MCAs) to help them collect two million signatures to help it sail through.

MCAs are grassroots representatives and are expected to make a substantial influence on the electorates as governors push for the referendum agenda.

Elgeyo/Marakwet County Governor Alex Tolgos said he is in support of the referendum to increase funding to the counties.

Tologos said the push for the referendum is based on the need to strengthen the senate from the current state, saying that Members of Parliament (MPs) have overlooked functions of the Senate.

He regretted that the MPs are forgetting that the senators command a larger following from the counties.

But senators allied to Jubilee who spoke after meeting the deputy president William Ruto on Tuesday said an alternative means can be used to increase revenues to the counties instead of a referendum.

They said that the government had already channelled 35 percent to counties, much more than the constitutional requirement of not less than 15 percent.

Mr Simon Kachapin, the governor for West Pokot, backed calls for referendum highlighting the need for an increase in revenue allocations to the fronted 45 percent.

Kachapin said the electorates have a lot of expectation on the performance of county governments and that the current revenue allocation is inadequate to enable counties perform its mandate.

Governors under their national council had stated that their push for a referendum is not politically motivated but intended to ensure more revenue allocations for service delivery.

Turkana governor Josephat Nanok said the planned referendum is necessary.

Nanok said there was need to strengthen the devolution process saying county governments are the only solution needed to end poverty, hunger and diseases in the country.

"If we want to end these problems that have plagues this country with no end since independence, then we need to be serious and allocate enough monies to the counties," he said.