• National Assembly has welcomed Senate’s decision to accept the Sh316 Billion equitable share of revenue allocation to counties as proposed by the Division of Revenue Bill (No.2) of 2019.
• The move set to end the three-month standoff that had plunged the counties into a cash crisis.
Image: FILE
The National Assembly has welcomed Senate’s decision to accept the Sh316 billion equitable share of revenue allocation to counties as proposed by the Division of Revenue Bill (No.2) of 2019.
Majority leader Aden Duale on Thursday said the National Assembly is glad that the Senate has "moved away from grandstanding and embraced that which the National Assembly and the President has always been urging them to, the interest of the people of Kenya".
“This is our utmost calling as leaders. The stalemate on the Division of Revenue Bill was threatening to paralyse the counties and we are indeed glad the Senate has finally agreed to unlock this gridlock by agreeing on the Sh316 billion,” Duale said.
He said the amount allocated is twice the minimum set by the Constitution and is based on current fiscal ability and capacity as a country.
“By agreeing with the National Assembly, the Senate has also cushioned Kenyans from additional taxation which would have been occasioned by their earlier proposal on the equitable share of Sh335 billion. For this, as a Kenyan I applaud them,” he said.
According to Duale, the mediation committee of Parliament which was constituted to resolve the equitable share stalemate has been having meetings on the Bill and had proposed to meet on Wednesday next week.
He said he has since consulted the chairperson of the committee, Kimani Ichung'wa, and the rest of the membership and agreed to proceed on Wednesday next week as earlier scheduled following the resumption of Parliament from recess.
“We intend to conclude on the report of our consensus on the Bill the same day and I undertake to prioritise the same in the National Assembly so that either on the same day or the following day we can present the Bill to the President for assent,” he said.
He added, “I also urge my counterpart in the Senate, Senator Kipchumba Murkomen to have the same prioritized in the Senate.”
The legislator said as a result the country can now breathe a sigh of relief as from the end of next week counties shall have access to their much needed equitable share of revenue for this financial year.
Earlier on, Senate Majority Leader Murkomen, reading a press statement on behalf of the Senate said the legislators softened their stance because of the pain and suffering in the counties.
"The country is faced with the real prospect of shutting down services at the counties. This would have a disastrous effect on the critical sectors such as agriculture and health," Murkomen said.
The senators sharply clashed with the Members of the National Assembly over the amount that should be allocated to the devolved units in the Division of Revenue Bill, 2019.
While MPs insisted on Sh316 billion, Senators had maintained that the counties should be allocated Sh335 billion.
The move set to end the three-month standoff that had plunged the counties into a cash crisis.