By NIKKO TANUI
Kericho County: Belgut MP Eric Keter and several members of Kericho County Assembly led by John Kauria and Joel Siele have dared Bomet county governor Isaac Ruto to quit Jubilee government instead of trying to stir trouble from within with the clamour for a referendum to force the government to increase revenue allocation to the counties to 40 percent.
The leaders reminded the council of governors’ chairman that his county was among the counties whose budget had not been approved by the controller of the budget Agnes Odhiambo and therefore he should be the last person to lead the calls by the governors for more allocation of revenue by the central government.
“Jubilee government in its own decision increased the revenue allocation to 32 per cent up from 15 per cent that the constitution had sent and we wonder why the Bomet governor and his lot are trying to press the government for another 8 percent whereas they have not even utilized the funds they have already been given” said Keter.
The Belgut MP asked the governor to keep in mind that Jubilee government is hardly five months old in power and is still trying to put its house and programs in order and with time everything will run smoothly.
Keter said by persisting in pressuring the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, the Bomet governor was betraying that there was a hidden agenda and he was working with forces outside the government to undermine it and portray it in a bad light.
“All those calling for a referendum have ill intentions and not development agenda at heart but what we want in South Rift are visionary leaders who focus on agriculture, infrastructure, education, heath development to have time to waste on ill-timed clamour for referendum” Keter said.
The Belgut MP asked the Bomet governor to concentrate in implementing development agenda in his county instead of going all over the place clamoring for a referendum.
The leaders in the meeting vowed that they will go around counties in the south right sensitizing residents not to be misled into being used as pawns in political games by politicians who are crusading for a referendum led by Council of Governors’ Chairman Isaac Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga
“We reject and any attempt from any quarter and any individual of whatever position to incite Kenyans that there is a need for a referendum, because it’s a useless exercise as we used the previous constitution for years since 1963 until we promulgated a new one in 2010 of which we have hardly used therefore, where is the logic in changing it now?” Keter said.
