This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
President Kenyatta has weighed in on the Division of Revenue Bill debate, urging governors to use the available funds and warning that they will not receive a single extra shilling from the national government.
Speaking in Murang'a, the President stated, 'You can't eat what you haven't sowed. We want our counties to work, but if you go and ask for money that is not available, where will it come from?'
He added, 'We have given them what we have, and what we know we can find.'
The National Assembly passed the Division of Revenue Bill on Thursday, allocating Ksh.316 billion to county governments, despite the Council of Governors rejecting the amount and insisting on Ksh.335 billion.
The Senate had previously passed its version of the bill, allocating Ksh.335 billion to counties, but the National Assembly rejected this amount and instead allocated Ksh.316 billion.
The disagreement between the two houses of Parliament has led to a stalemate, with governors accusing the National Treasury of ignoring the Commission of Revenue Allocation's recommendations on the sharing of revenue between the national government and the devolved units.
On Wednesday, the Senate passed its version of the bill, allocating Ksh.335 billion to counties, while the National Assembly introduced a similar bill with a proposal to allocate Ksh.316 billion.
Attempts at mediation failed, and the National Assembly and Senate failed to agree on how much the counties should receive.
