Government on the move to appropriate Sh.60.4 billion equalization fund

Kilifi, Thursday, 11, May, 2023

KNA by Jackson Msanzu

The National government is in the process to appropriate the Sh. 60.4 billion Equalization Fund that has not been operational due to a control battle between the national and the county governments.

The fund which was allocated to marginalized areas over 10 years ago has not been in use but its disbursement process is at its advanced stage after the senate passed the appropriation bill last week.

The Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) led by its Commissioner Benedict Muasya visited some of the marginalized areas in Kilifi County to confirm whether the sub-locations noted down as marginalized some years ago, are still under-developed before they are gazetted.

Speaking to the media during a meeting with Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mungaro, Mr. Muasya said the allocation commission has put to task the local administrations to form committees and identify projects that should be prioritized when the funds are released.

“CRA is in the process of doing the third policy of marginalization and we are at a stage where now we are going down to the counties to validate sub-locations that have been picked as marginalized,” he said.

The commissioner assured the public that the process to release the funds is nearly completed and urged the members of the parliament to speed up the necessary legislative framework to appropriate the fund to avoid further lagging of the marginalized areas in the future.

“Currently the funds stand at Sh. 60.4 billion and it has not been in use. If this money had been used at the right time, some areas that are still marginalized would be out of it,” he added.

Mr. Muasya also disclosed that they have already identified 1776 sub-locations in the country as marginalized and they will continue with the exercise so that they can gazette them to benefit from the equalization fund.

Kilifi Governor Mung’aro, who is the most affected with about 72 marginalized sub-locations, applauded the government’s move to engage the County Government leadership in the planning and execution of the equalization fund projects.

Mung’aro disclosed that their discussion was centered on how the county will cooperate with the national government as well as understand their role in the appropriation of the fund meant for the marginalized areas. 

The County government was invited to play an active role in the control of the operation of the fund because most of the functions in the marginalized areas have been devolved.

 Courtesy; K.N.A