A contentious formula for sharing revenue among the 47 counties is proving a hard nut for President Uhuru Kenyatta to crack in the bicameral Parliament.
Majority whip Irungu Kang'ata has revealed it is “a near-impossible” task mobilising the “relentless and determined” lawmakers to pass the formula.
Kang'ata, Uhuru's point man in the Senate, admitted an imminent flop in Parliament of the President's agenda for the first time since he ascended to power in 2013.
It could prove to be the biggest hurdle for the President who has always bulldozed his legislative agenda.
“We have mobilised senators before and passed the President’s agenda. But this is proving to be a big challenge,” Kang'ata, the Murang'a Senator, said.
Should senators unlock the deadlock, the formula will determine how counties share monies allocated to them for the next five years. They have Sh316.5 billion in the current financial year.
Under the new formula, 18 counties would forgo up to Sh17 billion compared to last year’s allocation.
The counties are from Coast, lower Eastern, Northeastern and some in Nyanza and Rift Valley.
The senators whose counties could lose have teamed up with at least seven others from ODM boss Raila Odinga’s allies and Deputy President William Ruto's camp to oppose the formula.
Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Fred Outa (Kisumu), Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), James Orengo (Siaya), Sam Ongeri (Kisii) and Moses Kajwang (Homa Bay) have backed their colleagues in opposing the proposed formula. Twenty-four Senators are required to pass the formula.
The method, they argued, is skewed to disadvantage the less populous counties and further perpetuate their marginalisation.
Kanga'ta said that the lawmakers have taken the formula “personal as it will directly impact their people and their political future.”
“Some senators here want to become governors. And they are saying that if their counties lose revenue, then it will have a direct impact on them at the ballot,” he told the Star.
Kang'ata who was deputy Majority Whip before replacing his boss Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika said they have previously mobilised senators from both wings of the House to pass the President’s agenda.
They whipped senators to increase the country’s debt ceiling to Sh9 trillion and removed Ferdinand Waititu as Kiambu governor in January.
In May, Jubilee removed three top DP allies in the Senate, while five nominated senators faced the party’s disciplinary committee for skipping a State House meeting to endorse the purge.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Kihika were replaced as Majority leader and Majority Chief Whip respectively.
Also ejected from a plum position in the House was Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki who served as deputy speaker.
The axe also fell on key Ruto allies who chaired powerful and influential house committees.
Minority Chief Whip Mutula Kilonzo Jr downplayed the assertion the contentious formula was the President’s agenda. If that were the case, the House leadership would have been informed, he said.
“This was the work of the committee chairman and a few others who wanted to portray it a Central Kenya affair and invoke the name of the President,” Mutula said.
He added, “All of us want to ensure the counties have a seamless transition from the second to third formula without creating disparities. Why should we take money from one county and give it to another?”
Mutula said that the ‘divisive’ formula was ‘sneaked’ into the Budget and Finance committee by the chair.
But the chair dismissed the claims and maintained the proposed formula would ensure equity as the previous method was skewed to “wrong 2009 population data.”
Senate sittings convened to debate and pass the formula have been adjourned two times in the past month following a clash among the lawmakers.
On Wednesday, the Star established that the Senate leadership was seeking the intervention of the President and Raila to build consensus.
In the proposal, the parameters of basic shareable revenue and population have been allocated 20 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, Health (17 per cent) and poverty (14 per cent).
Others are agriculture (10 per cent), access to roads (6 per cent), land mass (8 per cent) and revenue effort (collections) and fiscal prudence one per cent.
Among the biggest losers is Wajir county whose allocation will be cut by Sh1.9 billion if the formula is implemented.
Mandera and Marsabit will lose Sh1.8 billion, Garissa faces a reduction of Sh1.2 billion, Tana River Sh1.5 billion, Mombasa Sh1.6 billion, Kwale Sh995 million, Narok Sh887 million and Isiolo Sh879 million.
The formula will also see Kilifi losing Sh878 million, Turkana Sh450 million, Kitui Sh219 million, Makueni Sh302 million, Samburu Sh294 million, Taita Taveta Sh388 million, Tharaka Nithi Sh367 million, and Vihiga Sh361 million.
(edited by o. owino)
