Principal Secretary in Ministry of Devolution Sammy Itemere has cited lack of planning as a major cause of delayed funding for the implementation of County Integrated Development Plans by County Governments. Addressing the press in Busia after attending the vision 2030 National Blueprint held at Agricultural Training Center, the PS said CIDPs are the pillars of the County Governments but which most Counties have not achieved.
“The key drivers for funding are planning. You can only fund what is clearly documented. You get many Counties have not planned, thus portraying their unpreparedness to absorb the funds,” he said, adding that those Counties that were prepared with their plan had already benefitted.
There is the need by County Governments to embrace CIDPs in good time before the National budget is prepared to stand realistic chance of being funded by the National Treasury.
Itemere dispelled fears that the aim of the nNational blueprint was politically motivated, adding that it was a constitutional requirement despite election dates coinciding with their activities.
“It’s a constitutional requirement and not political and it requires that this process should be done before September after every five years,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by the Director of Planning in the Ministry of Devolution Catherine Mwoki who said it was a consultative process which is constitutional and that after every five years the government should prepare a five-year development report.
Mwoki regretted that Busia as the County had the lowest uptake in the issue of youth funds, meaning that the youth applying for the loans are less compared to other Counties.
“On the issue of youth fund, if I remember my statistics well, Busia is a county with the lowest uptake,” she said, “Even if the amount is small, I don’t see that as a wise decision not to apply for loans. You can use it in table banking and that is a lot of money.”