The Punguza Mzigo bill does not protect devolution and should be dismissed, Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichillo said over the weekend.
“The constitutional amendments should be done in a way that we support devolution," Ottichillo said and expressed his preference for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
The governor, who spoke at Muhudu in Hamisi subcounty, said revenue allocation for counties should be raised from 15 to at least 45 per cent.
He said the current allocation left counties with huge debts which were moved to the next financial year.
Little was left for development after clearing the accumulated debts, he said.
The Punguza Mzigo initiative has not been well received in western Kenya. The Siaya County Assembly is the latest to reject it.
“It will be a sad day in this county if you MCAs pass that Punguza Mzigo initiative,” Ottichillo said.
The initiative, according to him, would drag the nation back to the years when there was no democracy.
People want to be close to power, the governor said. “If we start merging constituencies, people of Hamisi will have to go to Vihiga to get CDF services," he said.
Punguza Mzigo is an initiative of Thirdway Alliance Party headed by the 2017 presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot.
Ottichillo accused Aukot of targeting to centralise power and services.
His sentiments were backed by deputy speaker Nickson Butiya, who promised the county chief the assembly's full support.
