Reject Revenue Bill, President Kenyatta urged
PHOTO | PPS President Kenyatta (centre) accompanied by Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua join traditional dancers in a jig after attending Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Machakos, on June 9, 2013.
What you need to know:
- Senate Legal Affairs team warns President against assenting to the proposed law without the Upper House’s input
President Kenyatta is under intense pressure to reject the controversial Division of Revenue Bill that is headed to his office for assent, with just less than 20 days left to the beginning of the next financial year.
The Bill determines financial allocations between the national government and the 47 county governments, and is the first step to help the counties know how much money they will get from July 1 when the next fiscal year begins.
The National Assembly and the Treasury had agreed on Sh210 billion, but the Senate added an extra Sh48 billion to ensure delivery of services in counties is not affected once the national government stops providing them. However, in the final Bill, MPs ignored the senators’ input and retained the initial Sh210 billion, leading to the conflict.
Senate Legal Affairs Committee on Sunday asked the President to reject the proposed law.
Chairman of the committee Amos Wako (Busia) asked National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Ekwee Ethuro to form a mediation committee to resolve the standoff between the two Houses over the Bill.
Mr Wako warned President Kenyatta that he would be setting a bad precedent if he signed the Bill into law. “This will render the Senate impotent in representing and protecting the interests of the counties and their governments,” Mr Wako said in an email.
Similar sentiments have bee expressed by Chairman of the Council of County Governors Isaac Ruto, Leader of Majority in the Senate Kithure Kindiki, chairman of the Senate Committee on Devolved Governments Kipchumba Murkomen, Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
On Sunday a citizens’ lobby, Coalition for Constitutional Implementation, also appealed to the President to reject the Bill until the two Houses reach an agreement. Executive Director Cidi Otieno accused MPs of “impunity”.
Meanwhile, Mr Odinga criticised the plot by some MPs to abolish the Senate, saying the move was headed to cripple devolution.
Speaking at Kabiro Primary School in Dagoretti North constituency, the Cord leader said: “In any country where there is devolution, the Senate must be there to supervise the performance of county governments.”
