Senators seek to nullify Division of Revenue Bill

By VITALIS KIMUTAI
Kenya: Senators will on Wednesday move to the Supreme Court seeking to nullify President Uhuru Kenyatta’s assent to the Division of Revenue bill.

The decision was made during a closed session held on Tuesday.

According to Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi and Majority Leader Aden Duale, Uhuru assented to the contentious Bill on Monday .

Muturi and Duale told Parliament Tuesday afternoon that the President had on Monday at 2.30pm signed the Bill thus making it a law.

“I can confirm to you that the President has assented to the Bill which is now been transformed into a law. The president did so as required of him by the constitution,” Duale said.

Muturi also while giving a communication from the chair confirmed to the House that the President had assented to the Bill on Monday.

The signing of the Bill by the President will stoke the embers of a contest for supremacy between the Senate and the National Assembly as regards to the allocation of funds to the County governments.

While parliament had voted for Sh 210 billion to the Counties, the Senate gave an additional Sh 48 billion to the Counties in the spirit of devolution.

Suba MP John Mbadi said it would be suicidal to give Counties more money when they have not accounted for the share they have been allocated in the first quarter.

“Why do the Counties want to build houses for deputy governors and buy vehicles for heads of departments when money is required for development at the grassroots level?” Mbadi wondered.
Mbadi said that the Governors should be servants of the people and should not be seen as “mini presidents,”

He said Senators and  Members of the County Assembly should take a lot of interest in the budgetary making process at the County government level.

Ugunja MP James Opiyo said the spat between the Senate and the National Assembly in the Budget making process could not be swept under the carpet as it would arise in the next budget cycle.

“The fact that the Senate can be relegated to periphery and reduced to a by stander when money to be allocated to Counties is being discussed is a very sad case indeed with the National Assembly having veto
powers on the allocation,” Opiyo said.

He said the law should be amended to allow the Senate take charge of the allocation of money to the Counties so as to avoid a future clash between the two Houses.