Counties

Water, health and education: CRA names critical issues for marginalised counties

kiringai

Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) chairperson Jane Kiringai (second right) and other public officials go through a booklet during a forum on sharing revenue among marginalised areas, June 22, 2018. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG

The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) has identified water, health services and education access as key issues that marginalised counties lack.

CRA named insecurity, means of livelihood and poor infrastructure as the main contributors to the lack of essentials in these regions.

The commission's chair, Jane Kiringai, said 5.6 million people live marginalised areas, even as they comprise the largest part of the country.

Dr Kiringai spoke on Friday during the launch of a policy and criteria for sharing revenue among marginalised areas and a 2017-2022 strategic plan.

“1,424 sub-locations spread across 366 wards in 34 counties in the country, especially in northern Kenya, have been identified by the policy research as being marginalised,” said Dr Kiringai.

Sidelined groups

Waata, Makonde, Elmolo and Dorobo-Saletia were documented as the most sidelined minority groups, who are more deserving of specific projects targeted to improve their socio-economic conditions, she added.

“The commission is mandated by the Constitution to develop a plan that sets up criteria for identification of the isolated areas for the purpose of sharing revenue from the equalisation fund, and these communities emerged as the most deserving of this,” she sad.

At the same forum, National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) chair Francis ole Kaparo noted that marginalisation is among the major causes of conflicts in the country.

“Due to the isolation, it is disheartening that some communities in some parts of the country feel that they live in a different country altogether and not Kenya.

"And this is fodder for conflict; mainly due to the emergent envy, as while resources are distributed, these communities feel neglected or inequitably allocated the resources in relation to the ‘more recorgnised’ areas,” said the NCIC chair.

Serious attempt

He pointed out that devolution and the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) programmes have been the government’s first serious attempt at addressing marginalisation, which should be buoyed and managed well.

The equalisation fund was established in the 2010 Constitution and became operational in 2011/2012.

It is intended for improving basic services such as water, health, security, infrastructure and education among others in marginalised areas.

The intention is to help bring these areas to the level generally enjoyed by the rest of the country.

The fund comprises 0.5 per cent of all revenue collected by the national government each year.