Turkana Deputy Governor, Dr. John Erus, wants the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) to include refugee-hosting status as an important factor in determining how national revenue is shared among counties.
Dr. Erus said Turkana and Garissa, Kenya’s two refugee-hosting counties, continue to face significant funding shortfalls in delivering services devolved to them under the Constitution.
The Deputy Governor said direct funding tied to refugee-hosting status would help strengthen coordination among state and non-state actors involved in humanitarian assistance, build a socio-economic pillar to open up commercial opportunities, and reinforce social protection mechanisms for affected communities.
Dr. Erus made the appeal while hosting UN Women Country Representative, Antonia N’gabala Sodonon, who visited the county for talks on strengthening partnerships.
“With direct funding from the Commission on Revenue Allocation and support from humanitarian actors such as UN Women and other players, we will not only create an integrated model for service delivery but also ease the burdens faced by refugee-hosting counties in Kenya,” Dr. Erus said.
He commended UN Women for its investment in refugee and host communities in Turkana, citing the construction of a modern garage in Kalobeyei as an example.
The Deputy Governor also criticized the Shirika Plan, arguing that in its current form it fails to give counties the authority to take charge of service delivery as required under the constitutional framework for devolved functions.
Responding, the UN Women representative said her organization would continue supporting efforts to empower women refugees and host communities to help unlock the county’s full economic potential.
