Uhuru Kenyatta appoints ex-detainee Edward Oyugi among new CRA commissioners

Former political detainee Prof Edward Oyugi

Former political detainee Prof Edward Oyugi is among the new commissioners who will share out revenue between national and county governments for the next six years. Oyugi, an aspirant for governor in the 2013 polls, was appointed commissioner of Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) by President Uhuru Kenyatta Friday.

He was appointed alongside a team of seven new commissioners. They include banker Peter Njeru Gachuba, assistant director at Kenya School of Monetary Studies Kishaanto ole Suuji and scholar Dr Irene Koech Asienga. Others are community work specialist Fauza Abdikadir Dahir, business development expert Humphrey Wattanga, Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Kamau Thuge and University of Nairobi's Economist Prof Peter Kiko Kimuyu.

President Kenyatta did not however appoint the chairman of the commission. Under the law, the chairman is nominated by the President and approved by the National Assembly.

The outgoing team includes chairman Micah Cheserem, vice chair Fatuma Abdikadir and members Wafula Masai, Amina Ahmed, Joseph Kimura, Rose Osoro, Meshack Onyango and Raphael Munavu.

Cheserem's team blazed the trail of revenue allocation after the 2010 Constitution was promulgated and when two levels of government were established. Under Article 216 of the Constitution, the commission also makes recommendations on the equitable basis for revenue sharing among the 47 counties, which is then considered by Parliament and enacted into law. Under the first formula passed on November 22, 2012 by the National Assembly in the absence of the Senate, population accounted for the biggest factor of revenue sharing among counties (45 per cent) followed by "basic equal share" (25 per cent), poverty index (20 per cent), land area (8 per cent) and fiscal responsibility (2 per cent).

Before leaving, Cheserem's team reviewed its recommendation and added a new factor of development. Under the new proposal, population factor will retain 45 per cent while the basic equal share due to each county will shoot by one per cent to become 26 per cent.