CRA pushes state to release Sh65.9bn devolved functions to counties

Tusker rally past Ulinzi to reach FKF Cup semifinals as Nairobi United bow out Football

Red hot Omanyala to orchestrate Kenya's 4x100m charge at World Relays today Athletics

The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) has intensified pressure on the national government to transfer 20 devolved functions worth Sh65.9 billion to county governments.

The Mary Chebukati-led commission argued that the roles have already been clearly defined and gazetted for devolution. In a report submitted to Parliament, CRA said the functions were delineated by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) and published through a gazette notice specifying the responsibilities of each level of government.

“The gazette notice contains the roles and responsibilities of each level of government in the execution of functions assigned to the county governments,” CRA said.

The functions cut across several sectors, including trade, housing and urban development, agriculture, livestock, blue economy and fisheries, culture and heritage, water and sanitation, tourism, environment, forestry and public health.

Under the livestock sector, CRA wants functions and programmes worth Sh2.58 billion transferred to counties. These include livestock technical training support services, the livestock value chain support project, de-risking, inclusion and value enhancement of pastoral economies, and the leather value chain promotion programme.

In the blue economy sector, programmes worth Sh4.37 billion have been earmarked for release. These include rehabilitation of fish landing sites, development of blue economy initiatives and exploitation of living resources within the sector.

The commission also identified functions worth Sh783.22 million from the State Department of Culture for transfer to counties. The resources relate to refurbishment of archives offices in six counties.

Water and sanitation account for one of the largest components of the proposed transfer, with programmes worth Sh9.8 billion set for release.

According to CRA, the resources cover water and sanitation projects across counties, as well as irrigation initiatives under expanded irrigation programmes.

“The identified resources relate to water and sanitation programmes in various counties and irrigation projects under the irrigation expanded programmes,” the commission noted.

CRA further called for the release of functions worth Sh235.5 million to support the construction of health facilities in a specific county. The commission argued that continued direct financing of devolved functions by the national government undermines the spirit of devolution.

“The commission notes that the direct financing of devolved functions by the national government is a testament to the gross underfunding of devolved functions,” the report said.

Tourism also features prominently, with CRA seeking the release of Sh14.01 billion for tourism functions. The funds support marketing and promotion programmes financed through the Tourism Fund and the Tourism Promotion Fund.

“Tourism is a concurrent function, in which the national government’s role relates to policy and development, while the county government’s functions relate to local tourism,” CRA said, insisting that counties should receive resources tied to their mandates.

In transport and urban mobility, the commission wants Sh589.18 million released to counties to support multi-agency enforcement operations, sensitisation of vulnerable road users, and development of non-motorised transport in the Nairobi Metropolitan area.

CRA is also pushing for Sh1.65 billion to be released to counties to fund film development under the Youth Affairs and Creative Economy programme.

The commission said the national government’s role in the film and cinema sector is limited to administration and enforcement of copyright and related rights.

“Counties, on the other hand, are mandated to regulate cinema and cinema content, and to promote, license and regulate film shooting locations within their jurisdictions,” the report said, adding that each level of government should budget for and undertake its assigned functions.

Additionally, CRA wants Sh198.99 million linked to strategic policy advisory services for the Betting Control and Licensing Board to be released, noting that county governments also carry out betting, lotteries and gaming functions within their jurisdictions.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

CRA observed that the resources identified by IGRTC fall into four broad categories: resources already budgeted for and currently transferred through the counties’ additional allocation legislation; direct financing of devolved functions by the national government without clear intergovernmental agreements; financing through established funds that require amendments to existing laws; and resources that finance purely national government functions.