Governors are exploiting lax public scrutiny, says Oxfam

Nairobi governor Evans Kidero. City residents fault the county’s tax system. PHOTO | FILE 

By EDWIN OKOTH

In Summary

• The survey conducted in Nairobi, Wajir and Turkana counties — the devolved units which receive the largest allocation — shows very few attend actual planning meetings.
• The report released Tuesday says increased public participation is likely to have a direct impact on the levels of revenue collection as sensitised citizens can easily agree to contribute towards development projects.
• The survey shows that Nairobi’s 4.2 million residents see the county’s tax system as unfair with 75 per cent dissatisfied with the level of services.

A majority of Kenyans have shunned budget planning sessions, handing governors a free hand to spend billions of shillings in projects of their choice, an Oxfam survey shows.

The survey conducted in Nairobi, Wajir and Turkana counties — the devolved units which receive the largest allocation — shows very few attend actual planning meetings.

The Treasury allocated a total of Sh302 billion to the 47 counties in the current financial year.

The money is in addition to billions more that each devolved unit raises internally.

READ: Audit shows political offices cost taxpayer 115 times more under 2010 Constitution

Oxfam’s tax justice programme manager, Wairu Kinyori-Gugu, attributes the low level of accountability pressure on county executives to lack of public participation.

“Most of the people surveyed in the three counties are dissatisfied with the essential public services but had never been involved in the decision making of their counties planning, budgeting and expenditure processes,” said Ms Kinyori-Gugu.

“This is worrying given that citizens hold their governments to account through first, paying their taxes then holding the government to account in the allocation and expenditure of these taxes.”

The report released Tuesday says increased public participation is likely to have a direct impact on the levels of revenue collection as sensitised citizens can easily agree to contribute towards development projects.

The survey shows that Nairobi’s 4.2 million residents see the county’s tax system as unfair with 75 per cent dissatisfied with the level of services.
Evade taxes
A majority of the city county residents (57.2 per cent) are ready to take advantage of available loophole to evade paying taxes compared to Turkana’s 23.1 per cent and Wajir’s 9.2 per cent.

Turkana received Sh11.8 billion in the 2015/2016 budget but only managed collect Sh200 million as internal revenues.

Wajir whose 450,000 residents rank low on the poverty scale (80 per cent) received national government allocation of Sh7.72 billion in 2015/2016.

A report compiled by the Auditor- General painted a similar scenario, showing people feel they are not involved in decision making at the county level.

READ: WERE: Devolution could give birth to issue-based politics in Kenya

“In fact, the level of participation in county-related activities is very low.