[Source: Business Daily, by Collins Odote]
The Constitution requires equitable sharing of revenues to county governments and with the national government. Counties are allocated at least 15percent of the revenue raised by the national government.
This sum is then distributed amongst county governments in accordance with criteria resolved by Senate every five years. Senate is required to give the parameters considering guidance from the Commission on Revenue Allocation.
Since the coming into operations of the Senate and counties two revenue allocation formulas have been developed and guided these allocations. The country is due for the third formula. Arriving at it has, however, been emotive, contentious, hilarious and at times frustrating. In the process political ties have been threatened, county operations jeopardised, the role of several institutions questioned, and the feasibility of the constitutional architecture raised…
