Governors: Give us more money or we will push for a referendum

Meru Governor Peter Munya. [PHOTO: STANDARD]

MERU COUNTY: The Government should reconsider the amount of money going to counties, otherwise governors will push for a referendum over revenue allocation, Council of Governors Secretary Peter Munya has said.

Speaking during the Meru County Education Day at Kaaga Girls High School, Munya said: “Meru county was only allocated Sh5 billion from the National Government. Of this, they use 70 per cent to pay salaries. We are left with Sh1.8 billion to transform all the sectors.”

He said the nine sub counties will each get Sh200 million which is inadequate.

“We are not going to lie. We are not happy with how the National Government is treating us in terms of allocations. We need more money,” said the governor. He said if Jubilee wants to puncture the opposition’s call for a referendum, the Government must increase funding for counties, because “all counties have tasted development and nobody wants a reversal of gains made.”

The Council of Governors said the Sh226 billion allocated to the counties is not enough for them to meet recurrent expenditure and initiate development projects.

The county bosses have previously threatened to collect one million signatures from Kenyans to force the Government to conduct a referendum on revenue allocation to counties. According to the Constitution, counties should get a minimum of 15 per cent of the national revenue.

Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood, however, immediately opposed the Council of Governor’s idea of a referendum, saying the governors will be playing into the hands of rivals Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD).

“They should not go that way because even as MPs, we can legislate in Parliament on funding to the counties. We cannot afford any referendum at this moment,” said Dawood.

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi said CORD’s call for a referendum is not good for the country.

“CORD’s plan is a hoax. It is a system to remove President Uhuru Kenyatta from power,” said the senator.