Duale says there’s little for Sh200bn given to 14 counties

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale speaks at Nyali Sun Africa Beach Resort in Mombasa on December 16, 2017 where he demanded that 14 county governments from the pastoral communities account for the Sh200 billion they have so far received from the exchequer. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He said pastoral communities are still grappling with challenges of acute shortage of water and poor health facilities.
  • Mr Duale added that the counties could have reduced the water problem by 50 percent if boreholes were drilled.
  • He defended the government on the marginalisation claims, saying the Jubilee administration had delivered on its promises.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has demanded that 14 county governments from the pastoral communities account for the Sh200 billion they have so far received from the exchequer.

He said although the government disbursed the money to the counties in the last five years, there is little to show on the ground.

Mr Duale said despite the colossal amount of public funds the counties received, pastoral communities are still grappling with challenges of acute shortage of water and poor health facilities.

“Devolution has solved the narrative of marginalisation. Pastoralists cannot talk of marginalisation whereas the government spent Sh200 billion for development in the last five years,” he said.

Speaking at Nyali Sun Africa Beach Hotel in Mombasa during a pastoralists parliamentary group meeting, Mr Duale asked the 14 counties to explain to the communities how they spent the Sh200 billion.

WATER

“We could not be hearing of water challenges in the pastoral community counties were it that the county chiefs spent the cash well,” he said.

Mr Duale added that the counties could have reduced the water problem by 50 percent if boreholes were drilled in the last five years.

He called on MPs from the pastoral areas to stop complaining that their communities are marginalised whereas huge amounts of public funds cannot be accounted for.

Mr Duale said apart from the Sh200 billion, the 14 counties received about Sh1.5 billion from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

“It does not make sense for CDF cash, funds from the national government and counties to be applied parallel on duplicated programmes with little development impact,” he added.

DEFENDED JUBILEE

The majority leader defended the government on the marginalisation claims, saying the Jubilee administration had delivered on its promises.

Mr Duale said some of the projects the government has implemented in the pastoral areas include the Isiolo-Marsabit highway and Garissa-Modogashe-Wajir highway which is under construction.

He added that power supply from the national grid has reached Garissa while the government has also assisted the Garissa University project, schools and health centres which were built through CDF.

He was speaking to legislators from Kajiado, Samburu, Wajir, Marsabit, Tana River, Narok, West Pokot, Turkana, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Laikipia and Mandera counties.

GET SUPPORT

The Pastoralist Parliamentary Group patron Ekwee Ethuro called on MPs from the pastoral communities to work with MPs from other regions for them to get support in the National Assembly and the Senate.

“You can’t work in isolation in Parliament or the Senate. As legislators we need each other when it comes to passing some motions. We must therefore unite with MPs from other areas,” he added.

Mandera Senator Mahmoud Mohamed said for the counties to deliver development to pastoral communities they must get the right personnel.

“There is need for the counties to [build the capacity of] its workforces for them to be able to carry out meaningful development,” he said.

Mr Mohamed said the county chiefs must also fight corruption to ensure public funds are spent on for the intended purposes.