Senators finally approve the revenue bill

Counties have moved a step closer to getting the much-awaited revenue after senators voted on Tuesday to approve the bill and pave way for disbursement of cash.

The Bill will dictate how the Sh 316.5 billion allocated will be split among the 47 counties in the 2020-21 budget.

The relief comes after the disputed Bill had stalled in the House for six months following an impasse over the third basis for sharing revenue among the devolved units.

The Bill is now awaiting the approval of the National Assembly before it is sent to President Uhuru Kenyatta for signing into law.

The County Allocation of Revenue (CARA) Bill, 2020 was supported by 38 senators.

On September 15, President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted top senate leadership at the State House Nairobi before a crucial vote on the bill that was slated for the afternoon session.

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio and Minority Leader James Orengo attended the meeting but the bill still flopped for a record tenth time.

Speaker Lusaka was blamed for failing to sanction a meeting to find a common ground between two opposing camps whose arguments delayed the Bill.