The resolution of the impasse over allocation of funds to counties presents a case to revisit the funding model for the devolved units. What is obtaining is unsustainable.
Although the Constitution stipulates the minimum revenue allocation — at least 15 per cent of the latest audited government incomes — the money is given on the whims of those in authority.
Worse, counties have singularly failed to raise own revenues for upkeep.
Since the Constitution assigns several functions to counties, including managing healthcare, those units should receive commensurate amounts for them to deliver.
Thus, a single institution like the National Treasury should not be the determinant of the allocations.
Not when the principle of the Constitution is dispersal of powers across levels of governments and institutions.
In all, the Senate demonstrated leadership by dropping its hard stance on the amount to be allocated to counties.
It yielded to the proposal by the National Assembly of allocating Sh316 to the counties, bringing to an end a long-standing deadlock that nearly stalled operations in the counties.
Matters had reached tipping levels with employees going for months without pay, leading to industrial unrest in some counties.
The Council of Governors had even threatened to close county offices and release employees to go home to await resolution of the stalemate and remittance of the cash, as their continued stay at the workplace was untenable.
No activity was going on. Services had been paralysed and things threatened to get out of hand.
But we should not have reached that stage. It is despicable that county business would grind to a halt just because of territorial war between the two chambers of Parliament.
That egoistic legislators held millions of citizens to ransom because they could not agree on a figure to be allocated to the counties.
It is quite unsettling, considering that the dispute was over some Sh20 billion — not so significant, given that such sums of money are lost every year due to corruption and pilferage.
To be sure, the National Assembly had proposed an allocation of Sh316 billion but the Senate wanted Sh336 billion based on advice from the Commission of Revenue Allocation.
But the National Assembly was adamant, arguing that the National Treasury was in the red and unable to commit huge funds to the counties.
Counties deserve better funding to serve the people at the grassroots.
Notwithstanding that, it must be observed that counties have become veritable dens of corruption and wastefulness.
It is not enough for them to be allocated more funds but must be put to task to use the cash prudently and held to account for sleaze and larceny.
Credit: Source link