ODM leader Raila Odinga has urged Senate to support the revenue sharing formula as proposed by the CRA. In his social media pages, Raila urged the Senate to stop the back and forth on sharing revenue and instead invest their time in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and let the country move forward.
Analysts had predicted that Raila was doomed whether or not he supported the formula proposed by CRA and supported by Uhuru Kenyatta.
And now he has chosen to align with his brothers, a move that may cost him a political base in North Eastern and the Coast.
In recent few days, the attention of the country has been captured by the standoff over the sharing of revenue among…
Posted by Raila Odinga on Monday, July 27, 2020
The new formula had seen Mr Odinga’s allies clash with his ‘handshake’ partner Uhuru Kenyatta and is threatening to scuttle execution of their pet project — the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) — after the President’s men pegged the success of the drive to the passage of the new formula.
With eyes on the 2022 polls, the former Prime Minister was caught between a rock and a hard place: to appease the regions that have always supported his political cause, including the Coast and North Eastern, or secure his handshake deal with the President by backing Mt Kenya.
Coastal leaders under the umbrella of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani economic bloc will be moving to court to block the adoption of the revenue allocation formula should it be passed by the Senate.
JKP secretariat official Emmanuel Nzai said the stand of the six governors from Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Taita Taveta and Tana Rive on the rejection of the formula still remains and they will deploy other options, including moving to court should the senate adopt the bill.
Coast leaders have also put aside their political differences to oppose the formula, saying, if adopted, the region risks losing more than Sh8 billion.
In a rare show, political enemies Stewart Madzayo, nominated Senator Christine Zawadi and Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa had to put their political difference aside to advocate for rejection of the bill
Mr Madzayo said Kilifi and Kwale counties will be the biggest losers if the bill passes as they risk losing Sh1.2 billion and Sh1.1 billion, respectively.
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“It’s disturbing that marginalised counties like Mandera and Tana River, which do not have proper roads, universities, hospitals and national schools could have their revenue slashed by as much as Sh2 billion,” the Kilifi senator said.
Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said if the formula is implemented, marginalised counties will incur losses in revenue collection.
His Tana River counterpart Dhadho Godhana said the formula challenges the sense of equitable development as it was thought of during drafting of the Constitution.
Kwale Senator Issa Juma said he will rally his colleagues at the Senate to reject the punitive formula.
Echoing similar sentiments, Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Said Hiribae is now calling on all coast leaders to convene for a meeting focused at lobbying against the proposal.
“We can’t compare infrastructural development in marginalised counties like Tana River with those in Kiambu which has produced presidents every electioneering period,” he said.
