Deputy Speaker advises president not to assent Revenue Bill into law

By Boniface Gikandi and Nikko Tanui

Isaac Rutto

Kenya: Senate Deputy Speaker Mr Kembi Gitura has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta not to accent to the Division of Revenue Bill.

He was speaking at Kiaguthu Boys High School in Murang’a during a prize giving ceremony.

Gitura also took a swipe at Kiharu Member of Parliament Mr Irungu Kang’ata calling on him to read widely on the role of the Senate instead of making wild allegations.

Mr Kembi Gitura said the row between Senate and Parliament had escalated after Parliament forwarded the Division of Revenue Bill to the President for assent after slashing-off a Senate recommendation for an additional Sh48 billion to county governments.

Senate had proposed Sh258 billion allocation to the counties from Sh210 billion that Parliament had recommended but the later had the final laugh when they reinstated their proposal in the final Bill sent to the President.

Elsewhere, the Government has been asked to demonstrate its commitment to devolution through the allocation of revenue.

Speaking in Boito Boys High School in Konoin District during the school’s prize giving day, Bomet Governor, Isaac Rutto said the Government should not claim to be committed to devolution but turn around and allocate insufficient funds to county governments that cannot run their programmes for a financial year.

The Bomet Governor who was accompanied by area Senator Prof Wilfred Lesan, at the same time asked MPs to be reasonable and cease their plans to dissolve the Senate.

He reminded them that the Senate was in place constitutionally and that senators were in the House to represent counties and ordinary Kenyans.

“Let nobody underrate the support for (successful) devolution by Kenyans,” he said.

Rutto who is the Governors’ Council chairman warned MPs that governors are ready to team up with senators in going round the county to campaign against MPs who are proving to be stumbling blocks toward devolution.  “We voted for a new constitution with the aim of sorting problems at the grassroots,” he said.