The standoff over the Division of Revenue Bill is set to intensify after governors rejected a new version that capped the county allocation at Sh316 billion.
The new allocation is a slight increase from the Sh310 billion that the National Assembly had set against the Sh335.7 billion recommended by the Senate and Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA).
National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale said the new bill had been published and would be tabled in the House on Tuesday when sittings resume after a short recess.
“Nothing has changed in the republished bill…I will table it next Tuesday,” Duale told People Daily. “Treasury has retained the Sh316 billion as proposed during the mediation meetings,” he added. The Garissa Township MP said the government cannot give what it does not have.
Court ruling
But Council of Governor (CoG) chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said their stand remains on the (CRA) figure of Sh335 billion. “We choose to wait for the Supreme Court ruling on the matter,” he said.
The standoff has seen the Council of Governors and Senate petition the top court to unlock the stalemate that has plunged counties into a financial crisis.
The grandstanding by the two Houses has degenerated into a war of words among their leadership.
Duale faulted his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen for allegedly controlling the National Assembly on the matter. “I take directives from the President, so whoever accusing me of abusing my powers is misguided,” Duale said.
Governors have accused the National Assembly of frustrating counties by denying them the much-needed revenue.
Governors want the Supreme Court to enforce the advisory opinion it had offered over the same issue in 2013.
