Last conference resolutions to be reviewed by governors

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Devolution CS Eugine Wamalwa, Chief Administrative Secretary for devolution Godana Dado and Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala address media during preparation of the fifth devolution conference that will be held next week in Kakamega. (Duncan Ocholla, Standard)

Last year’s devolution conference held in Naivasha discussed a myriad of issues, key among them, the proposed increase in revenue allocation to counties.

The county bosses have been pushing President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government to support their initiative to amend Article 203 of the Constitution to have the allocation capped at 45 per cent, up from the current 15 per cent.

This thorny issue was the subject of the ‘Pesa Mashinani’ referendum crusade championed by pioneer Council of Governors (CoG) Chairman Isaac Ruto to ensure county governments are properly resourced.

“We support the amendment of the Constitution to anchor 45 per cent minimum equitable share to counties,” reads the resolution of the fourth devolution conference.

Though in the Division of Revenue Act 2018, counties will get Sh372.7 billion, which is equivalent to 39.8 per cent of the most recent audited revenue, governors still insist county governments should be properly resourced to handle their functions.

Governors want State agencies, corporations and regional development authorities restructured to align to the devolved system of government, a move that is still pending.

Court order

For instance, governors want the National Treasury to allocate additional funds for roads as per the court order that recognised county roads.

But CoG vice chair Ann Waiguru remains optimistic.

“Everything can be achieved through dialogue. The intergovernmental channels of the summit chaired by the President and the Intergovernmental Budgets and Economic Council (IBEC) provides a forum where these issues can be addressed,” said Waiguru, also the pioneer Devolution Cabinet Secretary.

“We discussed at IBEC to get 20 per cent for fuel maintenance levy, we got 19 per cent. Though reduced it is more than the 15 per cent stipulated in the Roads Act.”

She agrees that county governments can only function best if they are properly resourced.

The council, under the leadership of former Meru Governor Peter Munya, expressed reservations with the way the conditional allocation is disbursed.

“All conditional grants must directly be disbursed to county revenue fund accounts without being channelled to any line ministry,” reads the resolutions.

Governors want the National Government to transfer to them all outstanding health functions.