Wetangula-Sakaja team announces breakthrough in revenue sharing talks

By , K24 Digital
On Wed, 26 Aug, 2020 21:57 | < 1 min read
Wetangula
The 12-member team that is tasked with breaking deadlock on row over revenue-sharing formula outside Parliament on August 26, 2020. PHOTO | HILLARY MAGEKA
The 12-member team that is tasked with breaking deadlock on row over revenue-sharing formula outside Parliament on August 26, 2020. PHOTO | HILLARY MAGEKA

A 12-member Senate committee established to strike a compromise on the row over the revenue-sharing formula has announced a breakthrough after eight days of “serious in-depth and long-winded deliberations”.

The committee, however, declined to share the formula or parameters on which the 47 counties will share Sh316.5 billion in this year’s shareable revenue.

The team, co-chaired by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and Nairobi’s Johnson Sakaja, revealed that they have reached an understanding on all the contentious amendments, including a submission from the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) and the National Treasury.

Addressing a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, Senator Wetangula, flanked by his committee members said they have prepared a harmonized proposal that will resolve the impasse.

“We have made tremendous progress. We are getting to the final bent to take the dash home. Tomorrow (Thursday) the committee will be presenting its findings and outcome in a report form to the leadership of the House led by speaker Kenneth Lusaka,” he said.

On allegations of derailing the release of cash to counties by Treasury, the Bungoma senator said his committee had seen a circular from Treasury allowing counties to access up to 50 percent of the last year’s allocation.

On his part, Senator Sakaja said that the committee made a determination after considering all the proposals presented to the panel by various senators, CRA and the National Treasury.

“We have been one team and tomorrow we will present one unified report," Sakaja said.