Nanok wants Uhuru to arbitrate in revenue division stalemate

Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene in the stalemate on the Division of Revenue Bill, saying the buck stops at his office.

Mr Nanok said the President should take full responsibility for the impasse.

He said that the President contributed to the creation of the financial crisis which now threatens to grind to a halt service delivery in counties and he therefore holds the keys to unlocking the stand-off.

UNPROCEDURAL

“President Uhuru unprocedurally approved the Budget and Appropriations Act, 2019 before the Division of Revenue Bill, 2019 is enacted into law as required by the Constitution,” he argued.

The counties had been allocated Sh310 billion in the initial version of the Division of Revenue Bill, 2019, a figure that has now been revised to Sh316 billion in a new bill set to be introduced in the National Assembly on Tuesday next week.

Even as governors still wait for the Supreme Court ruling on the, the Turkana governor believes that after the failure of mediation attempts between the Senate and the National Assembly, “the buck stops with President Uhuru Kenyatta”.

REDUCE BUDGETS

He pointed out that if counties fail to get Sh335 billion recommended by the Commission on Revenue Allocation, it will force them to reduce budgetary allocations to key sectors such as healthcare, food security and other infrastructural developments that are part of the President's Big Four agenda.

“The additional funds we are demanding as governors and recommended by CRA is a small amount out of a huge Sh3.02 trillion national budget. I believe it is a small sacrifice for the rural communities of Kenya who are far from the centre and whose access to government services is heavily reliant on the smooth running of the devolved units,” Governor Nanok said.

FOLLOW LAW

He noted that as the Council of Governors waits for the outcome of Supreme Court case, he hopes that President Kenyatta will take charge of the situation and have the National Assembly and Treasury follow the law by incorporating recommendations by both CRA and the Senate.

He observed that the success of the President's Big Four agenda will depend on the county governments’ ability to provide sustained and effective service delivery.

'It is a shared understanding between both levels of government that intergovernmental coordination is crucial in the Implementation of the Big Four,” Mr Nanok said.