Sunday, August 11, 2013

Counties to start receiving Sh210bn on Monday

PHOTO | REBECCA NDUKU | DPPS Deputy President William Ruto (left) with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (right) and Senator Hassan Omar at a dinner hosted at Tamarind Hotel in Mombasa on August 10, 2013. DPPS

In Summary

• Some governors and opposition MPs have in the past accused the national government of frustration development
• On Saturday, Cord leader Raila Odinga, said the country should prepare for a referendum to decide whether the allocation to counties should be increased to 40 per cent
• On Sunday, Kilifi governor Amason Kingi asked the national government to transfer powers and functions to counties to enable them discharge their mandate

Counties will start receiving the Sh210 billion devolved funds from Monday and Tuesday, Deputy President William Ruto said in Kilifi on Sunday.

Mr Ruto said that after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the Bill on revenue sharing last Friday, the National Treasury would start releasing the money to the 47 counties this week. Mr Ruto called on governors to utilise the funds well to spearhead development across the country. (EDITORIAL: County cash must be used for public good)

Speaking at Miracle Revival Fellowship Pentecostal Churches of East Africa at Mtwapa, he said prudent use of funds would enable county governments deliver meaningful service to the public.

“The national government’s goal is to ensure that all counties are up and running to fast track development across the country,” he said.

“We shall give the 47 governors the necessary support for them to deliver quality service to all Kenyans”.

He said the government was committed to ensuring the success of devolution.

Some governors and opposition MPs have in the past accused the national government of frustration development. This prompted Mr Ruto to host governors for talks last week to iron out the differences between national and devolved governments.

The meeting agreed that the Transitional Authority would issue a Gazette notice outlining the roles of governors and counties. However, the notice is yet to be published.

Some senators and governors have indicated that they will be collecting signatures to push for a referendum seeking to increase budgetary allocation to counties from the minimum 15 per cent stipulated in the Constitution to at least 40 per cent.

In June, the National Treasury Secretary, Mr Henry Rotich, allocated 20 per cent of the Budget to counties. This is the money that Mr Ruto yesterday said would start being sent to counties on Monday and Tuesday.

On Saturday, Cord leader Raila Odinga, said the country should prepare for a referendum to decide whether the allocation to counties should be increased to 40 per cent.

In what appeared to be a rejoinder to the Saturday calls by Cord MPs for a referendum, Mr Ruto said the time for politics was over.

“We need to shed out our political differences and work towards developing our country as that is the wish of every Kenyan,” he said.

On Monday, the Commission on Revenue Allocation is set to release a report on counties in Nairobi.

Spokesman George Muruli said the commission will be presenting a summary of the county budgets to the first inter-governmental budget and economic council meeting on Monday.

“The summary contains intergovernmental transfers by county, revenues generated at county level and expenditure estimates,” he said.

Government leaders are also scheduled to hold a meeting in Nairobi to find ways of eliminating hurdles which hamper county governments from discharging their functions.

On Sunday, Kilifi governor Amason Kingi asked the national government to transfer powers and functions to counties to enable them discharge their mandate.

“County governments have not been given powers which are enshrined in the Constitution and that is why leaders are on a war path with the national government,” he said. “When the county governments are given free hand to discharge their duties we shall tackle the problems facing our people”.