Northern Governors fault contested revenue sharing formula
Two governors from the Northern Frontier counties have rubbished the parameters being used in the controversial cash sharing debate saying they actually have more population than the five counties of Mt. Kenya combined.
Garissa County Governor Ali Korane and his Marsabit counterpart Mohamud Ali have said the Senate should not overlook the landmass parameter.
"We appreciate that where the population is high, let them get their fair share of resources, and equally, let those in sparsely populated areas get their fair share. As the population is important, the landmass parameter in equitable sharing of revenue is also equally important," they said.
Ali said the Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 was so punitive and advocated for marginalisation, and: "we can't go back there".
He said in the making of the 2010 Constitution, similar division on 'One Kilometre, One Vote' on one side and the 'One Shilling One Vote' on the other side, but Parliament in its wisdom sorted out the impasse by bringing the groups together, and a hybrid formula was reached.
"We are appealing to the Senate thus, to exercise the principle of equity to solve the existing division," Ali said.
Korane said the Northern Frontier region is not in contest with the role that Central Kenya has played as it has been portrayed.
"Let's not partition the country. Let's ensure the country remains one. We should not entrench further marginalisation that the North has faced for more than three decades," he said.
He said the region has high population but many of its residents have not been registered.
"We have so many people in the region who do not have national ID cards," he added.
