By STEPHEN ASTARIKO @stephen.ASTARIKO
Tuesday May 1, 2018
National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale speaking at a function in Garissa town.
National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale yesterday promised to support MCAs pushing for a wards fund bill to be brought to the floor of the house.
Duale, who is also the Garissa Township MP, urged Senate majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen to expedite the bill’s review and send it to the National Assembly for approval.
The bill would unlock Sh21.8 billion for wards countrywide.
Duale told the press in Garissa town that the only way devolution can be felt at the grassroots is by setting up the ward kitty.
“We have devolution at the county level. To decentralise further, you must take it to the wards and the subcounties. Devolution is taking resources down to the grassroots,” Duale said.
The County Wards Development Equalisation Bill 2018 is sponsored by Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata.
Last week, some Garissa MCAs urged MPs and Senators to support the Bill, saying it will prioritise ward-level projects during the budget-making process. They were led by Minority leader and Abakaile MCA Mohamed Ali.
They said MCAs are closer to the electorate and know what they want and need.
“The role of the MCAs is clearly defined and we would like Duale and MPs to approve this bill since it’s important to people at ward level,” he said.
The proposed law, which passed the first reading in the Senate, would promote decentralised development through a uniform development kitty for each ward to run specific projects.
The bill would create the equivalent of the Constituency Development Fund at the ward level. It would establish a fund through which at least eight per cent of the equitable shareable revenue of every county will be allocated to wards for development.
The funds is currently controlled by Governors who then allocate to wards.
The national Treasury has opposed the Bill, saying it would usurp the powers of county executives. The Controller of Budget, Agnes Odhiambo also opposed it, sayingcounty assemblies lacked necessary powers to implement it.
“If enacted, it could lead to overlaps or duplication of roles and create room for turf wars between departments and the fund. This will hurt services,” she said.
Odhiambo did however support having a framework to ensure equitable development in the counties.