GOVERNOR OPARANYA POINTS OUT STICKY ISSUES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF DEVOLUTION AS HE LAUNCHES CIDP FOR TRANS NZOIA COUNTY

Attempts to reduce shareable revenue for counties, the perennially dysfunctional IFMIS, an imperial National Treasury and corruption are some of the key threats to devolution.

Kakamega governor and CoG chair, H.E. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya said this today when he officially launched Trans Nzoia County Integrated Development Plan in Kitale in the presence of host governor, H.E. Patrick Khaemba and guest governor, H.E. Josphat Nanok.

The chairman said foreign investors were less inclined to invest in rural counties, preferring better endowed urban counties which have better infrastructure and amenities.

The solution to this, he said, was encouraging locals to start investing in their own counties to create employment and expand the market for local produce and products.

Governor Oparanya said the establishment of the Lake Region Economic Bloc was yet another key opportunity for rapid development of counties through the support of a regional bank and a flexible tax regime that can lift the burden of double taxation on small scale traders and transporters.

In his address, governor Khaemba said county governments were over-burdened by dubious bills on medical equipment allegedly supplied by the national government to county hospitals.

“Each county is being deducted Shs 200 million at source annually we don’t know for how long,” he said.

He said counties that were marginalized over a long period after independence must be supported fully by funds from the national Equalization Fund.

He also urged the national government not to abandon county road projects that have been taken over by the Kenya Highways Authority.

Governor Nanok called for better ways of managing agriculture and water resources.

Also present were Trans Nzoia Deputy Governor, H.E. Stanley Tarus, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and ASAL, Mr. Powon, the CAS for Petroleum and Mining, Eng. Mosonik, MPs for Kiminini and Kwanza, Hon. Chris Wamalwa and Ferdinand Wanyonyi, CECMs, MCAs, the County Commissioner, Chief Officers and Members of Trans Nzoia CPSB.

Others were the Chief of Staff, Mr. Robert Sumbi, the Chief Officer Economic Planning and Investments, Mr. Lawrence Omuhaka and Head of Planning, Mr. Jacob Mumia.