ODM has distanced itself from the failure by the Senate to pass the third basis for the revenue sharing formula.
Raila’s Orange’s party has, however, said the passage of the bill is each Senator’s responsibility and blaming ODM and its leader is mischief.
ODM chairman and John Mbadi and Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna told critics that each Senator votes on the formula based on whether his or her party is going to lose or gain.
“The revenue-sharing formula is a Senate problem and not of ODM or Raila’s making. Making the failure of the passage of the formula an ODM is a dishonest and political mischief,” Mbadi said.
Mbadi added that each Senator voted on the amendment to Senate Finance Committee report on an individual basis.
According to Mbadi the vote in the Senate is purely gainers versus losers but he questioned the sincerity of some Senators allied to William on their stand on the proposed formula.
According to the ODM chairman, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen opposed the bill yet his county was gaining while his Tangatanga colleagues such as Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Samson Cherargei (Nandi) and Christopher Langat (Bomet) supported the formula.
“Why could Aisha (Jumwa) and her Tangatanga colleagues not blame Ruto for the impasse on the revenue-sharing yet his allies supported the amendment? Why can’t they blame him for forsaking the Coastal region?” Mbadi posed.
A group of Coastal regions led by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya last week castigated Raila and accused him of failing to support them in the revenue-sharing formula.
“This is the highest form of betrayal. The debate and subsequent vote on Kang’ata’s amendments have exposed who are our true friends.ODM senators from Luo Nyanza has thrown us under the bus,” Baya said.
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In a scratching response, ODM Secretary-General told the Coastal legislatures, that his party had expelled Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and she is only hanging in ODM courtesy of Court order.
He added that Raila was popular in the Coastal region because of what he stands for such as devolution, education, land rights, mainstreaming of minority issues, and employment rights.
“Devolution has been referred to in many fora as ‘Raila’s baby’ or ‘ODM legacy’, a reference to what we accept with honor and humility, knowing the fight it took to have it woven into 2010 Constitution,” Sifuna said.
