Governors want disputed Bills stalemate resolved

Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya addresses journalists on the sidelines of the 4th Devolution Conference in Naivasha on March 9, 2017. Governors want revenue bills pending in Parliament attended to. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The proposed legislations determine the amount of money shared between the two levels of government.
  • The MPs and senators will resume business on May 9 and June 13 respectively after a recess.

Governors have written to Parliament over the contentious proposed law that must be in place for counties to access funds.

The county bosses in a letter seen by Nation want to be furnished with a progress report of a mediation committee formed to strike a compromise over the stalemate that risks plunging counties into a financial crisis.

Counties cannot access funds for their development and recurrent expenditure if the Division of Revenue Bill and the County Allocations of Revenue Bills remain pending in Parliament.

FINANCIAL PIT
The proposed legislations determine the amount of money shared between the two levels of government and allocations for each county.

“A lack of consensus on the Bill and its consequent failure at the end of the 30 days means that counties will face the prospects of a financial dilemma,” Council of Governors Chairman Peter Munya said.

The letter dated May 4 is addressed to the speakers of the two Houses Justin Muturi (National Assembly) and Ekwee Ethuro (Senate).

It is also copied to the special advisor, Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council in the Deputy President’s office.

The dispute was referred to the mediation committee on March 30 after MPs rejected an additional Sh23 billion increase for counties.

Senators had raised the amount allocated to counties from Sh291 billion to Sh314 billion.

COUNTIES ALLOCATION
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Billow Kerrow regretted that the National Assembly decided to ignore a Bill that originated from their House, in the guise that there was need to appropriate funds for the national government.

“The MPs and by extension the President’s move to sign the Appropriation Bill into law before the Division of Revenue Bill is finalised was unconstitutional,” Mr Kerrow said.

Since inception of devolved governments in 2013, except last year, the two Houses have been disagreeing over the amount that should go to the counties due to long-standing supremacy battles.

The MPs and senators will resume business on May 9 and June 13 respectively after a recess.