Marginalized areas earmarked for Equalization Fund in Nakuru

Nakuru, Wednesday, May 24, 2023

KNA by Anne Sabuni

Proper planning and utilization of development funds in Nakuru County will ensure no area is left marginalized by 2030, even as the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) decried meagre revenue collections.

CRA Commissioner Dr. Isabel Waiyaki has said that six sub locations in Nakuru County were earmarked to receive the Equalization Fund in the second phase of revenue sharing that also targeted to gazette pockets of areas, in non-marginalized counties.

Dr. Waiyaki regretted that areas of Mauche, Mariashoni, Kapchorora, Kiptunga, Tinet and Kwakomoi were mapped out as a result of their overstretched sanitation facilities, lack of clean water and electricity as well as poor school attendance rates among its population.

“The six were flagged out as they lacked basic amenities, with their road network also wanting. The Second Policy Criteria for sharing revenue among the marginalized area also incorporated school attendance rates and accessibility to social amenities as per the 2019 census report,” she noted.

Speaking in Nakuru when she made a courtesy call to the County Commissioner Mr. Loyford KIbaara, Dr. Waiyaki regretted that Nakuru county had the potential to raise Sh12 billion annually as own source revenue, calling on the county to automate its systems to avert leakages in revenue.

While acknowledging the poor road network and inadequate school infrastructure in the areas, Kibaara noted that the residents were victims of post-election clashes in the country.

“Mauche, Mariashoni and Tinet are areas where victims of political clashes were settled in 1992, 1997 and 2008 and that could be the reason for the overstretched sanitation facilities. The funds, if approved, will boost the current National Governments Constituency development fund’s effort to develop the area,” noted Kibaara,

He regretted that Molo and Njoro sub counties had most of their lands on caveat, baring development as implementers of National government projects avoided audit queries.

The CRA officers will be on a two-day tour of the sub locations in a bid to ascertain their state and seek the residents’ views on projects they would wish to prioritize in the area.

Parliament recently passed the allocation of Sh13.8 B to the Equalization Fund, with Nakuru’s Kwakomoi sub location set to receive a Sh8.6 million for its upgrade, which the Commissioner reported, was in progress.

Courtesy ; K. N. A