County funds allocation to delay over vacancy in revenue body
Commission on Revenue Allocation Chair Micah Cheserem addresses participants of a senate consultative workshop at the Serena Beach Hotel on October 16, 2015. He said the appointment of a new chairman should not be delayed. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He said drafting budget allocations for the counties for the 2017/2018 financial year will be affected by the delay.
- President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed seven new members to the commission for a six-year term replacing those whose terms expired in December last year.
Delay in picking the chair of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) may derail the newly constituted commission from executing its crucial mandate, former CRA chair Micah Cheserem has warned.
He said drafting budget allocations for the counties for the 2017/2018 financial year will be affected by the delay.
“A properly constituted Commission must include the chairperson and so I am concerned the commission may not be able to start its work immediately whereas there is so much critical work ahead,” Mr Cheserem told Saturday Nation in interview.
On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed seven new members to the commission for a six-year term replacing those whose terms expired in December last year.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250 (2) (c) as read with Article 215 (2) (b), (c) and (d) of the Constitution of Kenya, I, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, appoint— Edward Akong’o Oyugi (Prof), Peter Njeru Gachuba, Kishanto ole Suuji, Irene C. Koech Asienga (Dr.), Fauza Abdikadir Dahir, Humphrey Wattanga, Peter Kiko Kimuyu (Prof.), Kamau Thugge (Dr.) to be members of the Commission on Revenue Allocation for a period of six years, with effect from December 31, 2016,” the President said in a gazette notice dated the January 5, 2017.
The President however did not appoint a chairperson.
Legal expert Peter Wanyama said the new commission has a full in-tray including providing a credible formula for revenue allocation.
"The Commission should develop a satisfying formula for revenue sharing.
"It should also work closely with the Senate to push through an increased share of the national revenue for counties.
"The biggest challenge is to get National Treasury to accept the commissions’ recommendations," Mr Wanyama said.
He added the Commission should eliminate persistent rifts between counties and the national government in the disbursement of grants and donor allocations by capturing them in the Division of Revenue act.
The tenure of the previous team expired in December last year and applications concluded on December 27.
