Parliament picks team to unlock Sh32b for counties

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

Parliament has constituted a 10-member mediation committee to resolve a standoff on the Sh32 billion grants for counties.

Implementation of County Governments Grants Bill, 2021, which seeks to pave way for the release of cash to counties, has stalled over a stalemate pitting the National Assembly and the Senate.

Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka has picked senators Charles Kibiru (Kirinyaga), Moses Wetang'ula (Bungoma), Mutula Kilonzo Junior (Makueni), Rose Nyamunga and Farhiya Ali (nominated) to sit in the mediation team.

MPs Kanini Kega (Kieni), Kanyuithia Mutunga (Tigania West), Naisula Lesuuda (Samburu West), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North) and Makali Mulu (Kitui Central) have been appointed by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to the team.

During a special sitting last Tuesday, senators rejected all the amendments introduced to the Bill by the National Assembly, triggering a standoff.

The Bill sponsored by Kibiru, who doubles as Senate Finance and Budget Committee chairman, proposes to allocate counties conditional allocations of Sh7.537 billion from the State's share of revenue raised nationally and Sh32.343 billion as conditional allocations financed from loans and grants from development partners.

“Given the importance of the Bill in financing development programmes in the county governments under conditional grants, I call upon the members of the committee to embark on the process of developing a mediated version of the said Bill within the timeline contemplated under Article 113(3) of the Constitution,” said Lusaka.