By Daniel Otieno and Faith Anene, Kakamega
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has said that the county has the potential to collect at least Sh5billion in own source revenue collection.
Barasa who spoke during the County Marshals Pass Out ceremony at Kakamega ASK grounds yesterday, said that in order to meet the targets, the cohort of 200 marshals who graduated will take part in revenue collection as their primary duty.
“Kakamega County is capable of collecting over Sh5.8 Billion in a fiscal year. The county has a target of collecting Sh3billion this financial year,” said Barasa, adding, “Most officers in this group will be posted to support the revenue team as we hope to improve our own-source revenue gap,”
Barasa said that the only way he was going to fullfill his six point development agenda, is to maximise on own source revenue collection.
Barasa noted that the cohort that was graduating has gone through intensive training and have been equipped with skills in revenue collection.
“The team is expected to operate with all honesty, integrity and without any compromise to curb revenue pilferage in the county,” said Barasa
Barasa who is also the Chair of Finance Planning and Economic Committee of the Council of Governors, urged the National Treasury to release the sharable revenue to counties in order to ensure that all stalled the projects in the devolved are revived.
He said counties have not received their sharable revenue from the month of July despite the National Assembly approving the Division of Revenue Act. I want to appeal to the CS National Treasury to expedite release of the sharable revenue to the counties to ensure that the counties projects are not paralyzed,”
The governor also said that his collaboration with the Kenya Kwanza adminstration is yielding positive results, with county legacy projects from the previous administration, such as Bukhungu International Stadium and Kakamega Level-6 Hospital set to be completed in a year’s time with the help of the national government.
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