CORD intensifies bid to have referendum on county funds

By Stanley Ongwae

MPs from Western and Nyanza allied to the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy ( CORD) have continued to rally for a constitutional referendum to amend the allocation of funds to counties.

The lawmakers, led by Bungoma Senator and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula, vowed to ensure that a referendum is conducted to facilitate a change of the law to allow equal sharing of national resources between the central government and devolved units.

“We do not want to entrust a greater share of national resources to the central government where a few leaders distribute the monies to people they like and neglect others,” said Wetangula.

According to the Senator, if the referendum is successful, then all counties will be allocated 50 per cent of national resources, and not the  40 per cent that is being handed out under the current law.

The politicians said devolution should be reflective of the will of Kenyans and not of a few individuals, whom they said were not keen on improving the welfare of Kenyans living below the poverty line.

The leaders were speaking during a funds drive in aid of Dede Girls Secondary School in Awendo Constituency, Migori County.

Awendo MP Jared Kopiyo said passing of thereferendum was bound to be faced with obstacles in Parliament but reiterated that Kenyans will have a say on the outcome.

“We are behind our colleagues at the Senate that a million signatures from Kenyans be collected to successfully have the law altered for the good of many Kenyans,” said Kopiyo. The MPs have started mobilising youths to register for national identity cards.