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"content": "On the issue of County Allocation of Revenue Bill, this is not in conformity with what is in the Division of Revenue Act. The Division of Revenue Act talks about Kshs210 while the other Bill talks about198 billion. There seems to be a necessity for this Bill to be amended at the Committee Stage to reflect what is in the Act so that we talk about Kshs210 billion. I can see the hon. Senator from Homa Bay wondering what I am talking about. If he looks carefully at it, he will see that the Bill talks about Kshs198 billion. The Schedule is arranged in a way that there is a 15 per cent additional and unconditional commission. There is also total unconditional, conditional and total. This Bill insinuates that counties are being done a favour by being allocated the 15 per cent. This is not a favour. The Constitution talks of not less than 15 per cent. If really all the functions have been devolved to the counties, then 15 per cent is a figure that we can no longer talk about. Therefore, I will propose that at the Committee Stage, Columns 2 and 3 which talk of “15 per cent and additional” be collapsed into one. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a column which has been created called “conditional allocations.” The essence of devolution was that revenue would be shared equally and the Constitution provided for how revenue would be shared. A formula was arrived at and approved. Therefore, bringing in another column which allocates Kshs43 billion as conditional allocations, distorts and negates the whole principle of equality. Looking at it, I see that some counties are getting colossal amounts of money. I can quote a few. There is Mombasa, Kshs2.6 billion; Nairobi, Kshs7 billion; Nakuru, Kshs2.6 billion; Nyeri, Kshs3 billion and Vihiga, Kshs196 million. Trans Nzoia, where I come from has been allocated a paltry Kshs193 million. Trans Nzoia certainly requires much more considering that it is the breadbasket of this country. This amount may not even be enough to procure maize which we are going to harvest or the fertilizer that we shall require considering that agriculture is one of the functions that have been devolved. We have not been told whether the national Government will take care of that and if so, why it should continue being involved in that procurement. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the reasons given in the notes here are that there are some counties which have been given additional and conditional allocations because of certain requirements, for example, provincial hospitals and so on. But looking at the figures, I do not really believe that provincial hospitals alone would take care of this. In any case, why do we not consider upgrading the provincial hospitals to be national referral hospitals, so that we can only take care of the district hospitals? This will ensure that we are all at the same level. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a term which has been introduced; that by giving that allocation, we are “holding those counties harmless”. But on the reverse, this is creating more harm than rendering them harmless. It is harming other counties. So, I suggest that at the Committee Stage, this column be collapsed so that the Kshs43 billion is divided using the formula and all counties get their share. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is an emerging debate that counties are not ready to take over the functions that they were given and, therefore, we should slow down the pace of devolution. What makes counties not ready is not lack of resources in this country in terms of personnel, equipment and so forth, but lack of money. How will the counties ever be ready, if they will not be given money? Certainly for the first year, maybe there will be teething problems when they are recruiting, procuring equipment and so forth, but The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}