MAU IDPs Welcome To UG County

By SAMUEL KOECH skkoech@ke.nationmedia.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Posted  Saturday, April 14  2012 at  22:30

The Ministry of Special Programmes has finally resettled the first batch of Mau forest evictees three years after they were flashed out of the water tower.

The 240 evictees were given alternative settlement at Chemusian Farm, Kipkabus in Eldoret East District. Minister for Special Progammes Esther Murugi, who presided over the exercise, said that the government would speed up the countrywide process of settling IDPs and forest evictees.

“Although there have been a myriad challenges in trying to settle them, we are happy with the progress. We are almost through with the settling of IDPs but the first batch of forest evictees has been settled today. We are in the process of identifying chunks of land to settle the others,” said Ms Murugi.

The minister said that identification of land has been the major impediment to the exercise. She also added social and political challenges had led to some landless people facing hostile reception from the host communities.

“Land owners have consistently hiked land prices therefore making it difficult to work within our budget. Some of the displaced people also faced hostilities from a number of host communities,” she added.

The permanent Secretary for Special Programmes, Mr Andrew Mondoh, said the government evicted 5,710 households residing in four gazetted forests.

The PS added that it had managed to settle evictees from Chepyuk forest in Mount Elgon.

“We have forest evictees from Embobut in Marawet, Mau, Tinderet in Trans Nzoia and Kieni Forest in Gatundu. The Government continues to identify suitable land for resettlement with a view to ensuring that all forest evictees have been resettled as soon as possible,” said Mr Mondoh.

The permanent secretary added that there are 2,000 internally displaced persons that are yet to be resettled, adding that the ministry had received Sh4.4 billion  and has so far used Sh3.3 billion towards the resettlement exercise.

Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Osman Warfa urged the local communities to interograte well and enhance peace to spur development in the area. He cautioned politicians against inciting the local residents warning that those who do would be dealt with.

“The local community should integrate and harmonise well with the evictees to ensure peace prevails at all time. The provincial administration will deal with politicians trying to incite the local residents,” said the PC.

The Special Programmes ministry provided more than 300 tents, beans, maize, foodstuffs and promised to provide them with seeds and fertiliser to enable them prepare for the planting season.

Meanwhile, internally displaced persons living in Naka camp in Eldoret on Saturday held demonstrations to protest the alleged sale of relief food by some of the officials in the camp.

The IDPs claimed that the chairman of the camp has been colluding with his officials to sell off maize, beans and cooking oil. The IDPs intercepted a consignment of more than 100 bags of maize that was being packaged ready for sale at Langas.

Read more http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Government+resettles+first+batch+of+Mau+forest+evictees+/-/1064/1386758/-/1hlcyw/-/index.html

Uasin Gishu To Get 4.3B! Not Much.

The commission's proposal for county governments is more than the Sh160 billion approved by the Cabinet last week/CFM

NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 27 – The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) on Thursday recommended that county governments should receive an allocation Sh203 billion while Sh407 billion be given to the national government.

The commission’s proposal for county governments is more than the Sh160 billion approved by the Cabinet last week for the next financial year.

Speaking during the launch of the share formula between the national government and the 47 counties, Commission chairman Micah Cheserem said they were working with 2011/12 audited revenue but they expected the government to collect revenue of Sh800 billion in 2012/13.

He invited public discourse over the formula before it is forwarded to Parliament for debate and approval adding that it will be in place effectively for four months in the event of a March poll.

“If elections are held on March 4, 2013, the earliest the government will be in place will be in April next year. In all likelihood, the 2012-2013 Budget will be run by the national government to the tail-end,” he said.

According to the formula, 60 percent of the allocation will based on population size, 20 percent on basic equal share, 12 percent on poverty level rate, 6 percent on the size of land and 2 percent on fiscal responsibility exercised by the county. The remaining 20 per cent will be shared equally among the 47 counties.

Director for Research Moses Sichei explained that the formula which can be amended after three years is aimed at ensuring equity in resource distribution and sealing the disparities witnessed in allocations.

Top beneficiaries in the allocations include Nairobi Sh11.7 billion, Nakuru Sh6.9billion, Kiambu Sh6.5 billion, Kakamega Sh7.3 billion, Bungoma Sh7.2 billion, Turkana Sh5.7 billion, Kisii Sh5.5 billion, Kisumu Sh4.6 billion, Kilifi and Kisii Sh5.5 billion each, Wajir Sh4.7 billion and Uasin Gishu Sh4.3 billion.

Lamu, which is the smallest of the 47 counties in the country, will receive Sh1.4 billion.

At the tail-end of the disbursements are Isiolo Sh1.9 billion, Samburu Sh2.2 billion, Taita Taveta and Tharaka Nithi Sh2.3 billion each while Elgeyo Marakwet was allocated Sh2.4 billion, Laikipia and Tana River Sh2.6 billion each.

Parliament will have to approve two funding Bills, the Division of Revenue Bill which deals with sharing of revenues between the national and county governments and the County Allocation of Revenue Bill which relates to the sharing of revenue among the counties, at least two months before the end of each financial year.

The commission’s technical committee is still working on the criteria on distribution of the equalization funds, but commissioner Raphael Munavu urged that the county government must be allowed to prioritize their own development projects with special preference to water, education and health services.

The commission recommended that the Equalisation Fund (0.5 per cent of the national Budget) be disbursed from the 2013-2014 financial year when county governments will be functioning.

It also proposed that the funds set aside for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 financial years be rolled over to the 2013-2014 financial year.

The sectors to be targeted for improvement are water, education, health services, energy and rural access roads.

Courtesy The Star.

Welcome UG Citizens

Citizens of  The Wide Wareng or Uasin Gishu county ...Welcome to your new forum where we shall as a development concious citizens hold our leaders accountable so as to benefit from the devolution of governance,  power and resources to the counties.Its us the citizens through a vigilant eye and prompt raising of the red flag that we will stay the course and ensure good governance is achieved.
Dont you see the connection between an informed and agitative citizenry  and ultimate  responsive leadership!Its our destiny...the era of sitting back while the public coffers are blandered is long gone...its our duty to say no through reportage and shaming of unbecoming behavior among us.Lets shout  against corruption at the rooftops,expose the corrupt deals,shame the players for the sake of our county's future.Why are we so mad to a point of setting a chicken thief on fire while those who have stolen from the orphans,the sick,the pupils and the future generations walk around with their stomacks protruding without shame while we shower them with praises while we know they are thieves!Why should you wait for a revolutionary environment to get even with them instead of telling them to their face of their  rot.Lets be candid and talk,talk and talk.The conspiracy of silence should not take root amongst us as the case now.everybody is silent while things are falling apart.