• Two camps have been pulling the strings towards their ends.
•Those whose counties will gain have vowed to aggressively fight for the adoption of the new method, while those from marginalised areas insist the status quo must remain.
Image: FILE
Shame ! Shame! Shame! Senators shouted on Thursday as Speaker Lusaka adjourned a special session convened to debate the contentious third basis for sharing revenue among the 47 counties.
This is the fourth time the speaker adjourned the debate on the disputed revenue formula.
The stalemate has stalled the passage of the County Allocation of Revenue Bill.
Before the Bill is passed and signed into law by the President, counties cannot get money.
A team appointed by Lusaka to strike a deal and prepare a compromise report had not agreed on a formula.
The two camps have been pulling the strings towards their ends. Those whose counties will gain have vowed to aggressively fight for the adoption of the new method, while those from marginalised areas insist the status quo must remain.
Sources revealed to the Star that those whose counties gaining under the formula proposed by the Finance and Budget Committee want the method approved as it is.
The committee has proposed that the formula, that would see 18 counties lose up to Sh17 billion if adopted, be approved but its commencement date be deferred by a year.
However, senators whose counties will lose say they want the current formula to remain in force or they must be assured by the National Treasury that more cash will be allocated to the counties in the next financial year to ensure that no county loses revenue.
Under the proposed formula, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu, Turkana, Tana River, West Pokot, Lamu and Mandera will collectively lose Sh17 billion.
Wajir would lose Sh2 billion, Marsabit and Mandera Sh1.9 billion each while Garissa will forgo Sh1.6 billion and Tana River Sh1.5 billion.
Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nandi and Kakamega counties would get more allocations.
The disputed third basis for sharing revenue among the 47 counties will come up for debate after three failed attempts.
At least 21 senators drawn from the arid and semi-arid counties have opposed the formula, saying it will disenfranchise and further marginalise their areas.
Some 10 county chiefs from the areas have also petitioned the national government to shelve, for one year, the implementation of a new revenue sharing formula.