Senators reject MPs’ bid to manage fund

MPs and senators are set for a fresh supremacy battle after the latter said they would reject a proposed change to the Constitution to transfer administration of the Sh6 billion Equalisation Fund to the constituencies.

The proposal received overwhelming support in the National Assembly after 246 MPs turned up in the House last week to vote to put the fund under their custody. It required at least 233 votes to pass.

However, the MPs’ hopes of managing the fund could be short-lived as their Senate counterparts have vowed to shoot down the Bill when it goes to Senate for concurrence before the President signs it into law.

The Constitutional (amendment) Bill sponsored by Samburu West MP Lati Lelelit seeks to change Article 204 (3) (b) which says the money can be distributed to marginalised areas “indirectly or directly” through the counties.

The fund is kept by the National Treasury but the Constitution tasks the national government to directly or indirectly work with the counties in distributing it.

The MPs want that government to send the money through the constituencies.

REJECTION OF AMENDMENT
The Bill will be sent to the Senate after the National Assembly approves the Third Reading. It will need the support of at least two-thirds (32) of the elected senators to pass.

However, senators who spoke to Nation vowed to reject the constitutional amendment, saying the fund would be better managed under the national government or governors.

“Several MPs have called me trying to ask for my support on the fund. But I want to say that we should decide to either let governors control it or form a special committee at the national level to be in charge of it. MPs, MCAs or even senators should shy away from it,” the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee Chairman Boni Khalwale said.