Government to continue spending 5 percent of GDP on equalization fund

Isiolo, Friday, April 28, 2023

K.N.A By Abduba Mamo

The Government will continue to spend 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on 14 counties that were affected by marginalisation and insecurity during the previous administrations.

A commissioner of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) Ben Muasya said that Isiolo County received Sh760 million and Sh 256 million in first and second phases respectively for improvement of roads, education, health, water and electricity.

Mr Muasya revealed that only Sh 13 billion of the government’s allocation of Sh54 billion countrywide was utilised by the counties while Sh41 billion was still lying idle in government coffers because of poor funds uptake and implementation of development projects targeted.

The CRA commissioner said that 60 sub locations in Isiolo County and 1,780 sub locations found in the 14 counties were to benefit from the equalization fund according to the constitution.

Speaking during a meeting with Burat Ward equalisation committee in Isiolo while on tour of the area, Mr. Muasya noted that drought which had drastically affected the area and the recurrent insecurity cases complicated completion of projects in time.

The commissioner urged wananchi to prioritise the projects of their choice especially now that Junior Secondary Schools had come in with a lot of requirements like the additional classes and new administration blocks.

He challenged them to redirect their projects to education by establishing new secondary schools to reduce distance travelled by learners as well as uplift health, water, electricity and roads standards.

Mr Muasya urged the County Government to allocate funds to sectors that will effortlessly reduce marginalisation among the communities instead of fully depending on the national government.

The CRA commissioner said that if every Governor from the 14 counties allocated funds to 10 sub locations annually, the number of completed projects would have been many hence bringing down the poverty ratios among the local people.

The equalisation fund was established under Article 204(1) of the constitution to facilitate the provision of basic services including water, roads, health and electricity to the marginalised areas to the extent necessary to bring the quality of those services in those areas to the level generally enjoyed by the rest of the nation.

Courtesy K.N.A