• The bill spells out how revenue raised nationally will be shared between national and county governments.
• Treasury CS Ukur Yatani is expected to read the Sh3.31 trillion 2022-23 budget estimates on Thursday next week.
Image: COURTESY
Senators on Thursday are expected to approve a crucial bill on revenue to clear the way for the reading of the 2022-23 budget next week.
The lawmakers struck a deal during a crunch meeting on Wednesday after days of grandstanding that threatened to stall the passage of the bill.
“We held a meeting and agreed as senators to process the bill,” budget committee chairman Charles Kibiru said.
They had threatened to derail the passage of the Division of Revenue Bill, a crucial piece of legislation that must be passed by Parliament and signed into law by the President before the budget is read.
The bill spells out how revenue raised nationally will be shared between national and county governments.
The High Court recently ruled that the bill must be approved by Parliament and signed into law by the President before the budget estimates are unveiled.
Last week, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi said that unless the Division of Revenue Bill, 2022 is passed, “it will be unconstitutional for the CS to deliver the budget highlights.”
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani is expected to read the Sh3.31 trillion 2022-23 budget estimates on Thursday next week.
The senators had said they would not pass the bill until the Conditional Grants Bill, which is supposed to unlock Sh39.88 billion grants to counties, is passed into law.
They had accused Senate Majority leader Samuel Poghisio of introducing the Division of Revenue Bill when the Grants bill was still pending in the House.
“If the Conditional Grants Bill is not approved by the National Assembly, I will be among the first people not to vote for the Division of Revenue Bill,” Narok Senator Ledama Olekina said last Thursday.
“I have got no business voting in the Third Reading for the Division of Revenue Bill if we will not be able to conclude on the Conditional Grants Bill.”
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot sought to know why the House leadership was in a hurry to have the Division of Revenue Bill passed when the Grants bill is still pending.
“What is the hurry for? There is no constitutional or legislative timeline that we are in breach of. Therefore, we must stand firm as a House and ensure that we do the right thing,” he held.
During the Third Reading on Thursday, the senators will take a vote to approve. Thereafter, it will be taken to the President for assent.
Yesterday, Kibiru disclosed that the mediation committee of the two Houses will meet on Thursday morning to strike a deal on the bill.
“We are finishing everything tomorrow morning. The mediation committee will meet and resolve the issues that have been there,” he said.
The Star established that the leadership of the two Houses have held crucial consultations that led to unlocking of the impasse.
“The leadership had to get involved because the bill was getting delayed and projects are stalling in the counties,” a senator said in confidence.
Edited by A.N