Fourteen marginalised counties will receive over Sh12 billion in equalization funds from the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) in the 2018/19 financial year to put them at par with others.
According to CRA Chief Executive Officer George Ooko, the commission used parameters such as historical marginalisation and access to basic amenities to consider deserving counties.
He said Turkana, Lamu, Mandera,Wajir, Marsabit, Samburu, West Pokot, Tana River, Narok, Kwale, Garissa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta and Isiolo were some of the counties benefiting from the fund.
Mr Ooko, who was accompanied by the CRA Commissioner Ms Maimuna Mohammed, said they were going round the 14 counties on a fact-finding mission on the exact areas where the funds will be channeled to.
He said the amount to be allocated will vary from one county to the other depending on the population and the poverty index adding that the funds are from the 0.5percent of the total national revenue.
The CRA official, who met Narok North Deputy County Commissioner Ronald Mwuiwawi, said Narok for instance will get Sh809 million to catch up with other developed counties.
“We have been on the project for the past four years and we are now in the second phase of implementation. This project is set to run for 20 years from 2010 when the new constitution was promulgated,” said Mr Ooko.
He said the funds will be injected in rural roads access, water, education and healthcare services.
Area DCC Mwuiwawi hailed the CRA’s move saying Narok was a resource-rich county lack of access to water by the pastoralist community and poor infrastructure in Agro-pastoral was still a challenge.
“Narok is a rich county. On the highlands such as around the Mau Forest, Olchoro, Olokurto and Topoti areas crops are rotting in farms due to poor roads. On the other hand pastoralists are forced to migrate in search of water and pasture,” said Mwuiwawi.
Mr Mwuiwawi added: “Should these population get enough water dams for their livestock and those doing Agriculture get access to market through roads their lives will change for the better,”.
During his inauguration ceremony, area Governor Samuel Tunai said one of his major priorities in second term is to provide water and education structures to the locals.
