The chairman of the Commission on Revenue Allocation Micah Cheserem said the equalisation fund allocated for the 14 counties is equivalent to 0.5 percent of the national revenue/FILE
The chairman of the Commission on Revenue Allocation Micah Cheserem said the equalisation fund allocated for the 14 counties is equivalent to 0.5 percent of the national revenue.
“Let us begin with these 14 because if we increase the number, we may end up achieving nothing because the fund is very small,” Cheserem said when he unveiled the new support on Wednesday.
He said the funds will only be disbursed to marginalised areas which have not been developed for years.
“We want to ensure these areas are also improved,” he said adding “Kenya has one of the most unequal societies in the world, arguably behind Brazil and South Africa only.”
During the financial year of 2012/13 ending June, the shareable revenue is Sh608.063 billion, bringing the Fund’s value to Sh3.04 billion, according to the commission.
“The fund will be advanced once approved by Parliament between April and May,” Cheserem said.
In determining the 14 most marginalised counties, the commission said it relied on three parameters of County Development Index, historical injustices and its own county survey.
Turkana county will get the lion’s share of the allocation with Sh271 million, followed by Mandera (8.20 percent or Sh249 million), Wajir (7.88 percent or Sh240 million) and Marsabit (7.51 percent or Sh228 million).
Other counties will benefit as follows: Samburu (7.37 percent or Sh224 million), West Pokot(7.34 percent or Sh223 million), Tana River (7.28 percent or Sh221 million), Narok (6.86 percent or Sh208 million) and Kwale(6.74 percent or Sh205 million) in that order.
Garissa (6.64 percent or Sh202 million), Kilifi (6.47 percent or Sh197 million), Taita Taveta (6.37 percent or Sh194 million), Isiolo (6.33 percent or Sh192 million) and Lamu (6.12 percent or Sh186 million) complete the list.
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