Counties

Senate and CRA clash with governors over Sh302 billion

nanok

CoG chairman Josphat Nanok said the Treasury released only Sh218 billion. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Senate has confirmed that Sh302 billion was disbursed to all counties in the year to June 2018, effectively dismissing claims by governors that the Treasury has not released the full amount.

The Senate Finance and Budget committee said the county equitable share was fully transferred to the devolved governments. “The Treasury availed information to the committee that the actual monies released by June 30, 2018, was Sh302 billion as per the Division of Revenue Act, 2017, and County Allocation of Revenue Act, 2017,” Mohamed Mohamud, who chairs the committee, said in a statement to the House. Four days ago, governors threatened to move to court to recover Sh84 billion they alleged was withheld by the Treasury from the last fiscal year.

Turkana governor Josphat Nanok, chairman of the Council of Governors (CoG), said the Treasury released only Sh218 billion out of Sh302 billion published in the Division of Revenue Act 2017.

READ: Governors threaten to sue Treasury in Sh84bn row

However, the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), a government agency that advises on revenue sharing between the two levels of government, disputed the claim saying the Treasury had released the entire amount.

The county bosses had raised an uproar following the Treasury’s release of a gazette notice that indicated the counties’ equitable share for the year 2017/18 was revised to Sh288 billion.

The committee said the Treasury availed information proving that money released to counties was Sh302 billion as by June 30, 2018.