Three governors from the lower Eastern counties of Kitui, Machakos and Makueni now want the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) to factor in the region’s risks while crafting the revenue sharing formula.

Addressing the press after holding a day-long Summit meeting hosted by Governor Wavinya Ndeti in Machakos, the three leaders declared the ongoing debate on revenue sharing for counties will not yield fruit unless the unique challenges facing the region are not taken into account in resource allocation.

Wavinya, Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni) and Julius Malombe (Kitui) held consultations with commissioners from CRA on the sidelines of an extraordinary meeting of the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) where the leaders outlined a raft of issues they want considered in the formula for revenue sharing among the counties.

Key among the positions taken by the three leaders was backing the call by the Council of Governors to increase allocation to counties in the 2024/25 Financial Year.

“We made our point that the CRA revenue sharing formula consultations are immaterial if the amount of funds being shared among counties is not adjusted upwards,” said Wavinya who read out a joint statement by the county bosses.

The governors argue that CRA must acknowledge that funds must follow functions and that the revenue sharing formula must address the special burdens borne by the bloc.

“We note with concern about the lack of data on water scarcity from the Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS). We hold the position that water scarcity be included as a parameter for determining revenue allocation amongst counties,” she said.

The leaders also cited the pressure on healthcare services occasioned by frequent accidents along the transnational Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

The governors also delved into the challenge of flooding being experienced in various places following the ongoing heavy rainfall, citing massive destruction of infrastructure facilities.

“The damage is colossal after dams and rivers burst their banks, leading to massive flooding that has caused disruption of transportation services,” they said, adding that they had taken measures to deal with the emergencies.

The calls came amid heightened pressure by the Council of Governors to have the proposed allocation of sh 391 billion as equitable share of revenue to counties as captured in the Division of Revenue Bill increased to sh 439.5 billion.

The proposed increment, according to governors will allow counties to get sufficient revenue to cater for devolved functions.

CoG holds the view that the counties will experience major difficulties in the execution of the functions assigned to them under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution should the Division of Revenue Bill be passed as it is.

Mutula Kilonzo Jnr noted the region had not been spared by the ongoing strike by doctors, saying it had paralyzed healthcare services.

“As SEKEB governors, we are deeply concerned about the impasse in the negotiations between the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Ministry of Health. We implore the parties involved to expedite the return to work formula,” said the Makueni county governor.

On infrastructure, Kitui governor Julius Malombe revealed the county leaders were contemplating developing a joint budget to undertake common projects linking the counties.

“While each county is responsible for the development of its road network, where there is a need to construct bridges for improved connectivity, the counties will jointly budget for the exercise,” he said.