- Gachagua stated that the aforesaid formula is a development agenda that must be pursued to get an equitable share of the shareable allocation.
- Reiterating that he will push for the formula, especially in the Mt Kenya region, he said it deserves a share of the Equalisation Fund.
Image: Screen grab
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has criticised sentiments by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on one-man-one shilling in revenue sharing.
This is after Gachagua vowed to push for the adoption of the one-man-one-vote- one-shilling formula to ensure equity and fairness in the allocation of funds to the counties.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mungatana termed the sentiments by Gachagua as unfortunate, saying it pushes for economic segregation.
"Gachagua said that he is a supporter of one-vote- one-shilling, we want to tell him that we are in Kenya, supporters of one-man-one-vote- one- kilometre and we have no apology to make at all," he said.
Mungatana said Kenyans have rights and are not in the country by mistake.
"His statement is unfortunate because it is an attempt at the continuation of economic segregation of areas in this country that are arid and semi-arid," Mungatana said.
According to Gachagua, it would be unfair to have a constituency of about 800,000 people getting the same amount of County Development Fund (CDF) with one having a population of 14,000 residents.
The DP said that resources are about the people, adding that the number of people present in a country equates to the taxes remitted.
"For avoidance of doubt, in matters revenue sharing, Gachagua is a believer and a proponent of one man, one vote, one shilling," he said.
Gachagua spoke on Sunday during the Consecration of Assistant Bishop John Kimani Nthiga at ACK Cathedral of St Peter's Mbeere Diocese in Siakago town, Embu County.
He stated that the aforesaid formula is a development agenda that must be pursued to get an equitable share of the shareable allocation.
Reiterating that he will push for the formula, especially in the Mt Kenya region, he said it deserves a share of the Equalisation Fund.
"We will be pushing that agenda not because we come from a region that has a high population but because it is the right thing to do," he said.
"I agree on the need to allocate funds from the Equalization Fund. We have areas in this region like Mbeere, Kieni, and Ndeiya that are semi-arid and have been forgotten. We must work on this, so they receive these funds."
Gachagua called for unity in the Mt Kenya region, saying it is the best thing they have as a region in pursuit of development.