Gachagua, governors fail to agree on equitable revenue share to counties

Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua, governors and the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) failed to agree on equitable revenue share to counties.



For hours, the parties fronted different amounts to be the standard equitable share with the governors demanding for Sh425 billion.



An amount countered by the CRA which recommended for Sh407 billion. On it’s part, the National Treasury said it can only increase the current amount of Sh370 billion to Sh380 billion. 



It is this disagreement on the amount that made the meeting so lengthy with the governors failing to have the usual tea and lunch break leaving the meeting hall past 2 pm since 8 in the morning. 



Following the impasse, DP Gachagua said governors will be meeting President William Ruto early February to discuss the same and agree on an amount.



Another matter discussed at the meeting was the issue of pending bills with most of the governor’s inheriting huge debts from their predecessors. 



Currently, counties pending bills stand at Sh152.5 billion.Of this amount, only Sh45.5 billion were declared eligible with the remaining amount, Sh107 billion being declared ineligible. 



Eligible and ineligible



Nairobi leads in both eligible and ineligible pending bills. The former pending bills stand at Sh9.6 billion with the latter, a whopping Sh75.1 billion. 



Of the eligible pending bills, a total of Sh22.27 billion has been paid with only Sh1.7 billion of the ineligible pending bills also having been paid.



Other counties listed in the top ten for having huge pending eligible bills include Kiambu (Sh3.3 billion), Mombasa (Sh2.3 billion), Kajiado Sh969 million, Meru (925 million), Kisumu (Sh772 million), Machakos (Sh725 million), Kericho (Sh715 million), Vihiga (Sh696 million) and Narok (Sh670 million).



In general, the outstanding balance of the top 10 county executive accounts for 86.8 percent of the total pending eligible  bills. 



Nairobi’s shocking amount of Sh75.5 billion garnered in ineligible pending bills is followed by Garissa’s (Sh4.4 billion), Wajir (Sh4.25 billion), Kwale (Sh2.7bn), Murang’a (Sh1.67bn), Tana River (Sh1.66bn), Kajiado (Sh1.626bn), Kitui (Sh1.62bn), Laikipia (Sh1.17bn) and Narok closing the top ten list with Sh944 million pending ineligible bills. 



The outstanding balance for the top ten county executive accounts for 90.4 percent of total outstanding ineligible pending bills.



Nation