Senate revenue committee back to drawing board

There is still no consensus on the revenue sharing formula after the Senate House leadership told the 12-member committee to finalise its report before submitting it.

The committee co-chaired by Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi) and Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma) had sought to present a progressive report to the Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio (West Pokot) and his minority counterpart James Orengo (Siaya).

However, Poghisio and Orengo turned Sakaja’s team away asking them to complete the process and submit a conclusive report for further action.

“The committee came and wanted to present a progressive report but we could not accept it. We had given them a mandate to meet and agree and what we expect from them is a detailed report and not a progressive report,” said Poghisio.

Division of revenue

But in what appears to be work in futility, two members of the committee Senator Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Ledama ole Kina (Narok) wrote on Twitter statements to suggest that all was not rosy after all.

“On the matter of division of revenue among counties, we reported progress today and I will leave you with the words of Sir Winston Churchill who once said “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.

But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,” Murkomen shared on his Twitter handle.

Ledama said: “The smoke is grey.” There has been a contention between the counties that are losing as per the Senate Finance Committee report and the counties gaining, with the former not budging until no county loses.

Sources familiar with the proceedings but who sought anonymity told the Sunday Standard that the team will still meet and strike a deal as directed by the House leadership.

When asked whether he had seen the report, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka said he was not in the office on Thursday. “I was not in office on Thursday. I am not aware if they submitted any report,” said Lusaka.

Efforts to reach Wetang’ula or Sakaja through their phone numbers were futile as they did not respond to our calls and text messages.

On Wednesday, Sakaja and Wetang’ula in a press briefing, said there was smoke on the stalemate, adding that they will present their views in form of a report to the House leadership for further action.

“We have made tremendous progress and we are now taking the final bent.

Its findings and outcomes will be in a report form, which will be presented to the House leadership,” said Wetang’ula.

He went on: “We are not allowed by Standing Orders to divulge the contents of the report until we have given it to the Speaker.

The impasse of the revenue sharing formula that has been in the media and in the lips of everyone will be resolved.”