This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On Wednesday, a crucial parliamentary session to resolve the revenue crisis in county governments stalled due to the absence of senators.
The mediation committee, comprising members from the National Assembly and Senate, was established to draft a mediated version of the republished Division of Revenue Bill 2019.
The stalemate began in June when the two Houses failed to agree on the equitable share of revenue for the current financial year, resulting in two versions of the bill being republished.
The National Assembly proposed Sh316.5 billion, while the Senate suggested Sh335.7 billion for the counties.
As the two Houses continued to haggle over a compromise version, operations at the counties have come to a standstill, with no funds to pay staff, suppliers, or undertake development activities.
Leader of Majority Aden Duale accused the Senate of frustrating the talks, stating, "This is a serious issue because it touches on the operations of the counties. It's surprising that our counterparts from the Senate are not here to help solve this problem."
Wednesday's session was the second attempt at mediation, following a messy session last week where the two sides openly traded barbs.
At the time of adjournment, only two senators, Mohamed Mahamud and Okong'o Omogeni, were present, with Mr. Duale expressing concern over the low turnout.
Senator Mahamud defended his team, citing that some senators were abroad or engaged locally, and requested a postponement of the sitting to next week.
However, the team's chairperson, Kimani Ichung'wah, stated that the meeting could not be postponed through phone calls, as it is against the Standing Orders of Parliament.
