Senate Stuck At 335 Billion Shillings Division for Counties

The Senate passed the Revenue Allocation Bill, 2019 that allows counties to be allocated 335 billion shillings by the Treasury.

The Senate has increased the amount to be allocated to counties by 19 billion shillings as the National Assembly had stuck to counties receiving only 316 billion shillings and this will most likely trigger difference between the two houses.

Senate’s decision to stick on the amount they had earlier agreed on to be given to counties, will not only cause friction between the Senate and the National Assembly but may also delay the allocation of the said money as the bill may have to be subjected to the second round of mediation should the National Assembly reject the senate’s amendment.

There is also the risk of counties to continue wallowing in financial crisis as the two houses will be breaking for their month-long recess starting Thursday.

The Senate’s proposal of the Division of Revenue Bill was stopped by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, upon submission as he said the bill could not originate from the Senate but from the National Assembly as stated in article 218 of the constitution.

Mr. Muturi’s stand was not taken well by the Senate who had vowed to have the shareable revenue allocated to the devolved units set at Sh335 billion.

“The Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi conducted himself in an absurd way by directing that the Division of Revenue Bill that originated from the Senate be withdrawn from the Order Paper,” said Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula.

“The national government says it has no money to give to anybody. How on earth can you pass the Appropriation Bill without the Division of the Revenue Bill? We must stand and speak with one voice as we hold our ground on the Sh335 billion,” he added.

The Council of Governors through its chair Governor Wycliff Oparanya recently pleaded with the president to help sort out the financial situation in the counties.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier showed his stand on the Division of Revenue Bill as he publicly announced that the government had no money and that the governors should be content with what the National Treasury had offered.

While the stalemate continues, county employees still remain unpaid and have had their union representatives issue the county governments with a warning of an impending strike starting Tuesday, August 13, if they will not have been paid by Monday.