MCAs oppose legislators’ bid to slash cash allocated to counties

By WILBERFORCE NETYA

Members of County Assemblies are now up in arms about MPs for pushing for a slash in the budgetary allocations to the counties.

MCAs have since come to the defence of governors, who have been the subject of sharp criticism by senators and members of the National Assembly over their spending trends.

Interim Chairman of MCAs Task Force Simon Kalekem warned that they would mobilise the electorate against senators if they slash budgetary allocations to counties from 33 per cent of the total national revenue to 15 per cent as stipulated in the Constitution.

Kalekem said senators are duty-bound to protect the interests of counties and should not humiliate them by supporting the cut just to prove their deemed superiority over governors.

He warned that the move would greatly affect development in the counties.

“Just like some ministries in the Government are corrupt, only a few governors could be having problems but this should not be considered a general issue. Cutting down on the allocations to counties will only be a slap to the mwananchi and not help in any way,” he noted.

Kalekem who is also the leader of majority in the West Pokot County Assembly, advised senators to tread carefully and warned them against “being drunk with power since it could turn against them”.

He reiterated that MCAs would marshal the support of the electorate to vote senators out in the 2017 General Election if they (senators) concentrate on humiliating governors.

This comes in the backdrop of a show of unity between senators and MPs towards clipping governors’ powers by stripping them of most of their privileges and cutting down on revenue allocated to the counties.

A Bill by Samburu West MP Lati Lelelit, which seeks to have the long-awaited Sh3.4 billion equalisation fund streamlined in their development agendas, appears to aggravate the situation.