By JOSEPH MUCHIRI
Embu,Kenya:The criteria used to identify the 14 marginalised counties to benefit from the equalisation fund on revenue allocation to counties will be due for review in two years time.
Stephen Masha, a director on county fiscal affairs with the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), admitted they received numerous complaints from counties that felt they were left out from the equalisation fund even though they were marginalised.
He said in the next two years they will have received adequate data to determine the marginalised counties such that none will feel left out when a new criteria is in place.
“The 0.5 per cent of the revenue to counties allocated to the equalisation fund is not significant hence we will start with the 14 counties that we identified as marginalised. The criteria used will, however, change and a reviewed one will be in force in three years time,” said Masha.
The director however maintained they had consulted widely before arriving at the 14 marginalised counties where they sought the opinion of about 7,000 people in all counties and engaged experts to arrive at the number.
disband senate
He was speaking during a Law Society of Kenya seminar on devolution and its implementation in Embu town yesterday where CRA also sought views on sharing of natural and mineral resources from counties. Christopher Kanyariri a representative of Continuing Legal Education dismissed the calls to disband the Senate arguing that it is a creation of the Constitution which also guards it.
Kanyariri rubbished the supremacy battles between members of the Senate and the National Assembly saying the members should instead exercise their mandate and ensure devolution is implemented.
The Senate and Parliament have been involved in a tussle over who has the most authority.
