Home Tags Posts tagged with "County revenue allocation"
Tag:

County revenue allocation

Politics

Raila Meets Senator Malala a Day After Clashing Over Revenue Sharing Formula

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on Monday September 7, 2020 held a meeting with Kakamega County senator Cleophas Malala at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi.

Taking to his official twitter account after the meeting, the former prime minister revealed that their meeting focused on the revenue stalemate at the senate.

Raila also revealed that they held discussions revolving around the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

“Held discussions with Senator Cleophas Malala of Kakamega this afternoon focusing on the Revenue Sharing stalemate and BBI,” Raila tweeted.

Over the weekend, Raila hit out at the  Kakamega Senator after he rejected the third-generation county revenue allocation formula.

The former Prime Minister held a meeting with a section of ODM officials from Kakamega County at the county Governor Wycliffe Oparanya home.

The delegation had spent the night at Oparanya’s residence having arrived there on Saturday, September 5.

Raila questioned whether Senator Malala was elected to represent the people of Kakamega after rejecting the revenue sharing formula.

The party leader argued that when one is elected, they are supposed to represent their people, saying that the senator said he doesn’t want to deny funds to people from other counties whom he is not representing but only the people of Kakamega.

He added that Malala rejects the formula that will have his county getting more funds and noted that it’s not that he loves people from other counties but his own selfish interest.

Raila further called on the Senate to come up with a lasting solution to solve the altercation that he said is now affecting all counties.

Senator Malala had vowed to reject the formula at all costs after he was arrested on Monday, August 17, together with his colleagues Christopher Langat (Bomet) and Steve Lelegwen (Samburu)

Malala said the arrest was a state intimidation over their stand on the controversy surrounding the Counties’ revenue formula.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Murkomen Fires Warning to State, Says DCI Ordered to Arrest, Prefer False charges Against Senators

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been ordered to arrest and prefer false charges against at least five senators.

Taking to his official twitter account on Sunday August 16, 2020, Murkomen claimed that the targeted senators are those that are opposing the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposed County revenue allocation formula.

Terming the formula as oppressive, the former senate majority leader said that they will stand with Kenyans and ensure that the formula does not pass.

He claimed that the detectives have this morning gone for Samburu Senator Dr Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, terming the move as desparation.

He dared the detectives to go ahead and arrest any of them. Murkomen argued that should they get arrested, there will be no senate session tomorrow (Monday August 17, 2020.

“DCI has been ordered to arrest&prefer false charges against at least 5 Senators opposed to the oppressive Revenue Formula.They are currently going for Sen.Dr. Steve Ltumbesi Lelegwe, Samburu County.Desperation is real. Arrest any of us and there will be no session tomorrow,” Murkomen tweeted.

Senators are expected to convene tomorrow for a special seating to determine on which formula is the best for all the 47 counties.

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka on Friday gazetted the special convention of Senator on Monday, the ninth sitting to be held in a span of two months, to debate and vote on the controversial formula.

Lusaka said the sitting will be strictly limited to the consideration of the third basis for the allocation of revenue to the counties.

The senators have failed in eight sittings to conclude the debate and vote on the formula that has divided the House down the middle.

One camp, dubbed Team Kenya, has opposed a proposal fronted by the Finance and Budget Committee of the House that cuts allocations to 19 counties by Sh17 billion.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Lusaka Moving in City Hotels Lobbying Senators to Support Orengo’s Adjournment Motion, Murkomen Claims

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka is moving around big hotels in Nairobi trying to lobby senators to support an adjournment motion that will be moved by Siaya senator James Orengo this afternoon.

Taking to his official twitter account on Friday August 14, 2020, the former senate majority leader accused speaker Lusaka of doing rounds in city Hotels to temper with a special sitting that he has convened on Monday August 17, 2020.

The senators are supposed to meet again on Monday to debate on the County Revenue Allocation formula that has brought the senate at a standoff.

The senate has been adjourning for the past eight times that they have met to discuss and make a decision on how the revenues will be shared among the 47 counties.

However, from Murkomen’s post, there is another plot to adjourn the senate of a record nine times.

“Speaker Lusaka has convened a special sitting on Monday but he is busy doing rounds in city hotels lobbying Senators to support an adjournment motion to be moved by Sen.Orengo in the same sitting. We have sunk this low ?” Murkomen posted on twitter.

Senators on Tuesday voted 25-20 to adopt Meru Senator Mithika Linturi’s amendment to the revenue sharing formula. 

The senators are now expected to proceed to vote on the motion.

In the amendments to Nairobi’s Johnson Sakaja’s proposal, Linturi proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Sh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Sh270 billion.

Linturi suggests that other parameters of sharing revenue should apply to the difference of Sh46.5 billion. 

Sakaja had suggested that the entire Sh316.5 billion allocated to the 47 counties in the current financial year be shared equally.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Senator Malala’s Bank Accounts Frozen Over His Stand on County Revenue Formula

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala and his Meru counterpart Mithika Linturi are among the senators who woke up to frozen bank accounts.

Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot on Thursday August 13, 2020 had claimed that a number of senators who voted in support of Senator Linturi’s amendment to the revenue formula report had woken up to frozen bank accounts and fictitious tax demands from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

Linturi had moved an amendment to Nairobi counterpart Johnson Sakaja’s proposal on the disputed formula fronted by the House Finance committee which a section of Senators argued that was not favourable to “poor” counties.

He proposed a reduction to the baseline (equal share) from Ksh316.5 billion as proposed by Sakaja to Ksh270 billion.

Malala in an interview with the Star confirmed that indeed his accounts had been frozen but he had chosen to remain silent instead.

“Yes (my accounts have been frozen), but I have decided to remain silent on the matter though I remain firm on my decision to save Kenya,” he was quoted by the local daily.

On Tuesday, the Senate failed for a record eight-time to agree on how the Ksh316 billion from the national government should be distributed in counties.

The senators are set to reconvene today to debate on other proposals fronted by Senators Petronilla Were (nominated), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) and James Orengo (Siaya).

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

How Sakaja Arrived in Parliament at 5am to Escape an Arrest

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja on Tuesday August 4, 2020 said he had endured one of the most difficult weekends.

Sakaja who was speaking on the floor of the senate said he was trailed by police officers the entire weekend.

At some point, the officers camped outside his home waiting to arrest him.

“On Friday, I was being trailed by police officers in a vehicle registration number KBZ 317W and I saw them and they left. I raised it with the IGP but he didn’t t respond,” Sakaja said on the floor.

He narrated how he arrived in Parliament at 5am to escape an arrest that had been orchestrated to ensure he did not show up in the chamber for the debate on a motion that he had moved to amend the committee’s formula.

In the amendment, whose debate was adjourned last week, Sakaja is pushing for a formula that places the Sh316.5 billion allocated in the last financial year as the base.

Later, Sakaja told a local daily there was a plot to arrest him over his recent scuffle with Kilimani police officers for flouting the curfew.

“On Monday morning, I got out very early. I wanted to get papers at Total petrol station. When I got out, I saw a vehicle, then they put on the headlights. So, I said, let me move back. I went left and moved fast and switched off my phone, took papers and came back.

“In the evening, I was meeting some colleagues at Radisson. Senator Farhiya Ali (nominated senator from Nairobi) tells me that she was told I should not come to the chamber so that Beth Mugo votes on behalf of the Nairobi delegation. But I told her that I will. It was there that I learnt they didn’t want me to come to the chamber,” he was quoted by The Star.

The plan, according to the senator, was to arrest and detain him and charge him for allegedly assaulting Kilimani police officers.

But Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio and Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kanga’ta challenged those claiming intimidation and threats to substantiate.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Murkomen Responds to Murathe’s Threats

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has broken his silence on threats issued by Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe against him, Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja and Lamu’s Anwar Oloititip.

Murathe in an interview with The Standard had threatened to kick out of Jubilee party the three senators over their stand on the controversial County revenue sharing formula.

Murathe said the party would take disciplinary action against Sakaja and his colleagues for conspiring with fellow senators under the “One Kenya Movement” banner to shoot down the Senate Finance and Budgets Committee report.

Murathe accused the three of defying  the party position last week and sank its proposal.

“We are not yet done, we will deal with the senators for going against the party position. They will have themselves to blame for their parochial decisions. We will kick them out of the party. Read our party constitution, it gives room to deal with them,” Murathe was quoted by the local daily as having said.

He said whereas the other Jubilee senators from the affected counties had their grievances against the formula, Sakaja, Murkomen and Oloititip acted defiantly and maliciously given that they had no credible grievance.

But in response to the headline ran by the Standard on Tuesday August 4, 2020, Murkomen said the story confirmed that he was doing the right thing.

Seeming unshaken with Murathe’s threats, the former senate Majority leader said such headline can only confirm that the peace in his heart flows like a gentle river.

“When I see such a headline I am so assured that I am doing the right thing and the peace In my heart flows like a gentle river,” he tweeted.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Senators to Receive Ksh 5 Million Bribes to Pass Uhuru’s Proposal on Revenue Formula

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Senators are set to receive up to Ksh 5 million in bribes for them to pass the controversial new County revenue allocation formula.

Narok senator Ledama Olekina has this morning hinted at the plot, arguing that it will be suicidal for any senator to accept the bribes.

According to the ODM senator, the bribe will only help to fuel division of Kenya due to the revenue share discourse.

Taking to his official twitter handle, he went further to curse the lawmakers who will accept the Ksh 5 million bribe and in turn betray Kenyans.

Ledama prayed for the family of those who will accept the bribe not to have peace at all.

“It will be suicidal for any Senator to accept a bribe of Ksh 5M to fuel the division of Kenya due to the revenue share discourse! May your family never have peace if you accept a bribe to divide Kenya! Tadoi anaa Enkolong!” senator Ledama tweeted.

The senate is this afternoon expected to vote on the crucial County revenue formula, with senators having different opinions ahead of the special seating.

A section of senators opposed to the county cash sharing formula have vowed to reject it.

According to a report by The Star, the 25 senators who last week engineered the defeat of an amendment to defer the disputed formula by two years have plotted another elaborate plan to reject it in totality.

The amendment was sponsored by Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a) with the blessings of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

With their number standing at 25, the opposing senators have surpassed the 24 threshold required to defeat the formula that would see 18 counties lose Sh17 billion.

On Sunday, Raila met a section of Uhuru’s allies led by Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe at the Kajiado home of Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli.

At the meeting, Raila assured the President’s side that he would rally his senators to support the formula.

 Siaya Senator James Orengo who is the Minority Leader was charged with bringing the leaders together.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Load More Posts