Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Wisely Rotich has expressed shock to a recently released formula of sharing revenue among devolved units across the country.
According to Rotich, the formula by the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) if approved by the Senate “is going to marginalize Elgeyo Marakwet forever.”
Addressing a media briefing at the county headquarters in Iten town on Wednesday, the deputy county boss accused CRA of favoring rich counties in the new formula, a move he noted will kill the spirit of devolution.
“When CRA released their new formula recently, they said we want to favor rich counties against poor counties and one question we are asking ourselves is then why devolution? Devolution was supposed to come here to bring all of us at par," noted Rotich.
“We read a lot of sinister motive because recently there has been politics that they want to fold some counties. I think CRA if they don’t come out clearly they are part of that wider scheme to kill some small counties,” he added.
Rotich further noted that with the new formula, at least 21 counties will receive funds which will not be able to cater for their operations.
He asked the Senate to reverse the proposed formula.
“We have always said that the best formula is by raising the equal share up to 50 percent so that when someone is sick in Elgeyo Marakwet, they get the same service as a sick person in a richer county. There is no better Kenyan, there is no poor Kenyan. The price of Panadol at Kemsa is the same across the county, why is CRA condemning 21 counties with Kenyans who have been marginalized for 50 years and are now being marginalized by this commission?” added the Deputy Governor.
If approved by the Senate, the regions set to have the largest allocations of Sh335.67 billion earmarked for the 47 counties in the 2019/2020 financial year are; Nairobi (Sh17.44 billion), Nakuru (Sh11.79bn), Turkana (Sh11.69bn), Kakamega (Sh11.3bn) and Kiambu (Sh10.05bn).
Taita Taveta (Sh4.25bn), Elgeyo Marakwet (Sh4.13bn), Isiolo (Sh3.78bn), Tharaka Nithi (Sh3.76bn) and Lamu (Sh2.46bn) are counties that will receive lowest allocations based on the new formula.
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