Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa now wants the National Government to direct sufficient funding towards the implementation of projects in the devolved units.
This, he said would have been made possible if the national government had approved the proposal to increase the equitable share to the proposed Sh450 billion by the Council of Governors.
"We have a problem with the national government interfering with devolved functions, for instance, we have the Ministry of Agriculture distributing fertiliser. We don't understand why the national government should have a budget for that project yet it is a function meant for counties," Barasa said.
Barasa was speaking when he made a keynote speech at the Economists Society of Kenya's Inaugural Annual National Conference on May 7, 2024, in Mombasa.
Barasa who doubles up as the Chairperson for Finance, Economic planning and budgeting at the Council of Governors further noted that in the health sector, several devolved roles have not been funded.
"Counties need almost Sh20 billion to service medical equipment, another Sh32 billion to pay levies but in the next financial year we have only been allocated an additional Sh6 billion to be shared among 47 counties," he said.
On the ongoing floods, Barasa said that most county governments are not able to help victims.
This is because funds meant to cushion such disasters are budgeted for, by the national government.
The Division of Revenue Allocation Bill proposed to allocate county governments Sh391.1 billion for the financial year 2024-25 as an equitable share which is an increase from a base of Sh374.5 billion allocated in the financial year 2023-24.
On his part, National Assembly Chairperson for the Budget Committee Ndindi Nyoro backed the plan to privatise state corporations saying the government should steer clear of investing in sectors that are doing well privately.
"The interactions between the private sector between economic agents make more sense than the government offering services. Banking has been growing every year but look at banking institutions run by government, we are doing badly," he said.
