Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei on Tuesday surprised his counterparts after appearing to change his stand on the ongoing debate on the appropriate formula to share revenue among the counties.
Cherargei has been a key figure representing counties that stand to win under the formula proposed by the Senate Finance and Budget Committee chaired by Charles Kibiru of Kirinyaga.
The senator was previously quoted saying that the money should be allocated to the people rather than to the ‘trees and empty land.'
On Tuesday, Meru Senator Mithika Linturi moved an amendment to a proposal fronted by Nairobi's Johnson Sakaja.
In the amendments, Linturi proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Sh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Sh270 billion.
Linturi suggested that other parameters of sharing revenue should apply to the difference of Sh46.5 billion.
Sakaja had suggested that the entire Sh316.5 billion allocated to the 47 counties in the current financial year be shared equally.
In the Linturi proposal, 19 counties will lose Sh1.8 billion down from Sh17 billion contained in the disputed formula proposed by the House Finance committee.
Linturi had made some changes to the amendments by his Nairobi counterpart Johnson Sakaja.
Cherargei was expected to vote no to the changes and insist on the third basis formula.
When it was his turn to vote, the senator said that:
“For the sake of OneMan, OneVote, OneShilling, I vote yes (to the amendment).”
It appeared he made a mistake.
The senator was however given a second chance after the Majority Chief Whip Irung'u Kang'ata intervened.
Cherargei, after a second opportunity to make his final decision, voted no to the changes.
"For the interest of the people of Nandi and for the interest of One Man, One Vote, One Shilling I vote No to both amendments."
In the end, Sakaja and Linturi amendments to the formula were passed after 25 senators voted yes against 20 who voted no.
This means that the motion on the approval of the third basis for revenue allocation among the County Governments will be debated with amendments.
More to follow...
