Trans Nzoia Senator Michael Mbito has faulted President Kenyatta’s remarks concerning revenue allocation to Counties. Last week, the President said the government doesn’t have more funds to allocate to Counties and County bosses should instead use the resources they have well. The standoff has moved to the Supreme Court, with Governors and Senators proposing Kshs 335 billion but the government standing firm on Kshs 316 billion. Speaking at Endebess during a fund drive, Senator Mbito criticized President Kenyatta, claiming he hasn’t observed the Constitution and CRA’s proposal of allocation to Counties.
He said the money being sought by Governors and Senators doesn’t belong to President Kenyatta, and it’s the Commission on Revenue Allocation that proposed the hefty amount. “We are not begging for money from the government, we are following the proposal made by the Commission on Revenue Allocation, which proposed that Counties be given Kshs 335 billion,” he said, “I urge the President to read the Constitution well, we don’t receive money from the national government at his wish.”
However, several MPs from the County, including Kwanza MP Ferdinand
Wanyonyi, Endebess MP Dr Robert Pukose and Kiminini MP Dr. Chris
Wamalwa have defended the Kshs 316 million allocation claiming Governors have failed to show the projects initiated, with the cash originally allocated to them.
They said corruption is rampant in Counties and faulted Senators and MCAs, who they claimed have failed to do their oversight roles effectively, “Why do they want more allocations yet they’ve failed to show projects initiated with the money they’ve already received?” posed Pukose, citing the Trans Nzoia referral hospital construction, which taken years to set up. Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi said the County administrations should show the projects initiated first before asking for more money.