Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has urged the government not to reduce the budgetary allocation recommendation made by the Commission on Revenue Allocation,. saying Counties shouldn’t be reduced to ‘agents of the pay master general.’ Speaking in Vihiga, Wetangula said the proposal by the CRA of Kshs 335 billion is low but the County governments were willing to work with it, “It’s inadequate, but we in the Senate have accepted it,” he said, “It’s grossly inadequate in a budget of Kshs 3.2 trillion.”
The Council of Governors have dragged the issue on equitable share to Counties to the Supreme Court. However, Senator Wetangula has affirmed that all the complaints and the case will fizzle out if the Counties are given the proposed Kshs 335 billion, instead of the newly predisposed Kshs 316 billion. He said that during the campaign period, he, together with Musalia Mudavadi and Raila Odinga had proposed that 45 percent of all revenue should be taken to the Counties, and that’s still his position.
On his part, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi said MPs should be on the forefront defending the Counties before Treasury CS Henry Rotich, the same way they are keen with their allowances. He affirmed that devolution shouldn’t be undermined. “If you can send Rotich back when he brings his proposal in the budget because he has not factored in certain allowances, send him back when he is taking money from the County governments so that he puts it back.”