House gives nod to Sh3b for constituencies

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

MPs have overwhelmingly backed an amendment to the Constitution to push the National Treasury to allocate constituencies over Sh3 billion.

Once the MPs approve the change and the President assents to the Bill, they will have absolute control on the use of the money - just the same way they control the Sh22 billion under the Constituency Development Fund.

The lawmakers want the law changed to make sure that the national Government is obligated to send the money under the Equalisation Fund to the constituencies in marginalised areas.

The MPs concluded debate on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill - he first Bill to amend the Constitution that has been worked on by the Eleventh Parliament - early yesterday.

They unanimously urged the national Government to make sure the money goes directly to the constituencies, through a similar structure like the CDF.

Marginalised counties

MP Lelelit Lati (Samburu West), who is the sponsor of the Bill, insisted that governors in the 14 marginalised counties had no business handling the money. There are 63 constituencies within these counties.

“The equalisation fund is a national government function. We are not taking any money from the governors, we just want the national Government to send the money to the constituencies to help solve the inequality,” Lati told his colleagues as he appealed for their support when the matter comes up for the vote.

Article 204 of the Constitution sets up the Equalisation Fund, and prescribes that it be allocated 0.5 per cent of all of the country’s revenues in every financial year. The allocation, the Constitution says, should be pegged on most recent audited accounts. The fund has to be wound up in 2030 unless Parliament extends the period.

The Constitution had given the national Government leeway to send the money to the counties, either “directly or indirectly” as “grants”.