Kakamega County residents at the Kakamega Social Hall where they enaged in discussions with the Commission on Revenue Allocation. [Photos | John Kabaka | West Fm]

The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) warns that electing more than 67 percent of one gender to the legislature would have far reaching budgetary implications to county and central government.

CRA advisor Dulacha Barako says if Kenyans will not elect 33 percent women to parliament and county assemblies, the constitution will be applied and an equivalent number of women will be nominated to meet the law threshold.

He says although the situation is taken care off at the senate with 22 slots earmarked for nomination, the problem could arise in parliament where nominations are not provided for.

He told a county stakeholders meeting at the Kakamega Social Hall that meeting the two-third rule was mandatory adding should the country fail to elect 33 percent of either gender into the 290-chamber parliament, then the full force of the rule will come to play and impact on the budgetary provisions at the national and county governments.

“The constitution dictates that there shall not be more than two-thirds of one gender elected to parliament, but Kenyans should also remember that if we don't fill one-third slot of either gender through elections, then we shall nominate them,” Barako declared.

He said nominating Mps to attain the gender parity would add a big strain on the government budget on the legislature, which would eventually mean that financing on other arms of the government would be cut to fund the parliament and the senate.

He said there was need for enhanced civic education and change attitude advocacy to change the age-old traditions and attitude of the society against the female gender be for the next polls.

CRA adivisor Dulacha Barako.

Barako also said that the formula used by the commission on revenue allocation was not final adding Kenyans were still free to make their input. He said the formula was still a recommendation and opinion that is yet to be exhaustively discussed by Kenyans.

[ Read:

•  Trans Nzoia residents call for allocation of funds of education, agriculture and persons with disabilities
• Western Province and North Rift interrogate the Commission on Revenue Allocation’s proposed distribution of the 15 per cent of the national budgetary resources to the 47 Counties now or prepare to live with them upto the 2013-2014 budget

He remarks came in response to protests by a section of participants at the interactive workshop voiced displeasure with the recommendation to divide the allocation according to the poverty index in the counties.

The recommendation has it that 12 percent of the revenue basket destined for the counties would be decided on according to the poverty index. Another 4 percent will be distributed according to the level of economic marginalization.

However, according to Kakamega resident George Musindi and Kakamega municipal council civic leader Robert Ponyochi, the poverty and economic marginalization vote could easily turn in to a political fund for abuse by those in power.

Ponyochi claimed that areas marginalized were mostly defined by a high poverty index and wondered whether by allocating them different revenue vote heads, the CRA was duplicating the funds.

The CRA was also taken to task over the conflict over the Busia and Bungoma counties where according to the 2009 population census by Kenya Bureau of Statistics (Kebs) results for section of Amagoro were reflected in Bungoma county instead of Busia County.

“The commission cannot deal with this issue alone, we get our figures officially from the Kebs and as such this and other areas like Turkana, Nairobi and the canceled results of countries in the North eastern province must be handled jointly with Kebs.