Kang’ata: House team yet to resolve revenue stalemate
Senate Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata yesterday admitted that the 12-member committee formed to unlock the stalemate on revenue-sharing has hit a deadlock.
According to Kang’ata, the committee was yet to reach a consensus on the formula to be applied in sharing revenue among devolved units.
“We are yet to come up with acceptable formula, but we have mature senators who will find a solution to the standoff,” he stated.
Kang’ata expressed confidence that the third basis formula which gives more weight to population over land mass, and which is favoured by many senators from populous counties will carry the day.
He spoke after attending the funeral of Johnson Gichira Kibiru, the brother to Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru at Getuya village in Kirinyaga County.
Kang’ata argued that for instance, Kirinyaga County stood to get an additional Sh700 million if the third basis was adopted.
Kibiru, Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio and Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga said the debate on revenue sharing had been hijacked by political expedition.
Poghisio maintained that the government will continue to push for a formula, which best represents the aspirations of majority of Kenyans.
But Ndwiga insisted that the debate has been hijacked by self seekers, who were calling the shots from behind the scenes.
He wondered how a formula geared towards enabling more counties get more allocation can fail to pass at the Senate for a record nine times.
“The stand off is politically instigated and will only be resolved, if all leaders came out and negotiated without hiding some cards below the table,” he noted.
The 12-member committee established to strike a compromise on the revenue sharing row , submitted two reports to Poghisio and his minority counterpart, James Orengo for transmission to the leadership of Jubilee and Orange parties.
Although the committee had publicly announced a breakthrough after eight days of “serious in-depth and long-winded deliberations, it has emerged that agreement has been reached on the formula.
