By ALLAN KISIA
County governments could get more funding if an amendment on the Division of Revenue Bill 2013 sails through.
Leader of Majority Aden Duale, while moving the Bill, said it seeks to increase the allocations from Sh198.6 billion to Sh206.6 billion.
“The national Government should be transferring more resources to the counties,” he said. His proposal was overwhelmingly supported by MPs, who said the 15 per cent allocation should be increased to 21 per cent.
Kiminini legislator Chris Wamalwa seconded the Bill and said wrangles at many county offices were fueled by lack of funds to run development programmes. “Every time we hear anything from these offices, it will be about lack of money,” he said.
The Bill is an Act of Parliament to provide for the equitable division of revenue raised between the national and county governments in the 2013/2014 financial year. The National Treasury is in the spotlight over what the chairman of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), Micah Cheserem, said is scaling down revenue allocation to county governments.
Last year, former Finance minister Njeru Githae indicated county governments would receive at least Sh230 billion in the 2013/2014 budget.
All county governments based their 2013/14 budget on figures released by the CRA.
However, the National Treasury has put the figure at Sh198 billion and tabled the Division of Revenue Bill 2013, which seeks to authorise sharing of revenue to the counties based on the revised figure. Yesterday, Suba MP John Mbadi said devolution was central to country’s development. “We need to put enough efforts to ensure counties succeed. We should not set them up for failure,” he said.
He said anything CRA does should be in consultation with Parliament. He said the Government should make sure enough funds are provided to counties.
Kitui South lawmaker Rachael Nyamae said the 15 per cent allocation is not enough. “The 15 per cent might not get to the grassroots as we wish,” she said.
