Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma has termed the claims that he had been bribed to support the Third Revenue Formula as baseless.
The senator said in a statement on Tuesday that ODM party leader Raila Odinga had not made any promise to him to unseat Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala as Deputy Minority Leader in the senate.
Mwaruma said that he attended a meeting at State House hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta and attended by Raila and some senators.
“Ignore the rumours on social media. No promise made to me by Raila Odinga to unseat senator Cleophas Malala as Deputy Minority in the senate,” Mwaruma said.
He added that he was among the senators who attended the State House meeting on Tuesday morning which was chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta and attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga and some senators.
During the meeting, Mwaruma said that he used the opportunity to consider the tarmacking of Bura, Mghange, Werugha, Wundanyi, Mbololo road network.
“I explained that we haven’t benefited from projects worth even Sh200 million from the national government.”
He said that his request was supported by the ODM leader by confirming that the road was impassable.
The State House meeting saw the president pledging to raise next year’s equitable shareable revenue by Sh50 billion on Tuesday unlocked the protracted formula stalemate.
Uhuru induced a section of aggrieved senators who had vehemently opposed the controversial formula, causing a standoff and untold suffering in the counties.
"We have agreed to take the offer. But we have tasked the 12-member committee that has been working on this, to come up with the best formula taking into account the Sh50 billion," Laikipia Senator John Kinyua said.
Kinyua's assertions were shared by his Makueni counterpart Mutula Kilonzo.
