Kilifi North MP Owen Baya has accused the government of failing to release the Sh12 Billion equalization fund meant for marginalized counties.
He said the funds were meant to develop counties that had for decades not benefited to be at par with the others.
Speaking at Kararacha primary school after officially handing over two modern classrooms in his constituency, the legislator also blamed ODM party leader Raila Odinga for not pushing for the funds since his handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Baya said it is shocking to see grand projects such as that of hyacinth being taken to Nyanza and launched by the ODM party leader yet he is unable to task the government to release the funds.
The handshake should be used to push for equalization but as it is, its frustrating Kenyans.
He said Raila does not defend Coast people and warned that in 2022 if the situation won’t change, the region will no longer vote for the ODM party wave.
“In 2022, elections will be based on people, we will no longer be carried by political party, we are not going to be carried like potatoes, Coast people will take their votes where they will get benefits,’’ he said.
Baya said Coast voted overwhelmingly for ODM with the hope of seeing transformation but since the handshake, Raila has forgotten the people and his focus is in Kisumu.
“As Kilifi people there are things happening in Kenya which are not satisfactory, article 204 of the constitution states that there shall be equalisation funds because there are certain regions that have not benefitted from the national cake, the aim of the fund was to pull them up,’’ he said.
As per the plan, he said half of the audited accounts for every year were to be given to the marginalised counties to improve on education, health.
The Kilifi North MP said the law was passed nearly 20 years ago but to date the, implementation was yet to become a reality.
Baya said that had the funds been disbursed in 2010 after the promulgation of the new constitution, counties such as Kilifi would not be having poor infrastructure such as makuti thatched roofs.
Currently, he said in some areas, Kilifi students were still learning out in the open with no classrooms.
The MP also called on the Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) to revoke the recent list of teachers posted to counties as it was done unfairly.
He said Kilifi County alone had a shortage of 3500 teachers but received only 219 teachers while areas like central got 429 teachers.