This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
Published on August 28, 2019, a breakdown of figures from 2013 shows that Lamu and Isiolo counties have been the biggest beneficiaries of devolution funds disbursed by the national government.
The generous disbursements are possible thanks in part to the devolved regions' sparse populations. In contrast, the poorest counties of Turkana, Mandera, and Samburu received allocations of Sh12,012, Sh8,996, and Sh16,909 respectively.
Nairobi, which has the highest population density and is also the most developed county, received the lowest allocation per individual of only Sh4,362. The average national disbursement has been Sh7,338 over the past six years, highlighting the huge variance among the different regions.
Official figures further reveal that besides the sparse populations in Lamu and Isiolo, the regions lead when it comes to inequality in spending capabilities and access to education.
Lamu East MP Shariff Athman has disputed the figures, stating that the last census did not capture the true size of the population. He believes the allocations are skewed in favour of Lamu due to the high illiteracy rate, which he says means many households do not understand the value in getting enumerated.
“Lamu is unique in that its poverty levels are understated. Most of the investments especially in the hospitality industry are foreign-owned, meaning there is minimal trickling down of wealth,” said Mr Athmani.
The MP hopes a civic education exercise will ensure the region's 'true' population is captured in the ongoing census, thus resulting in even more funding.
Leaders from north eastern Kenya have expressed their concerns, saying they want the resource allocation formula reviewed to focus more on the level of development and population size.
