Revenue row: Why senators’ talks aborted

A phone call from a top government official Sunday forced the cancellation of an informal meeting of senators to help thaw ice on the county revenue sharing formula, adding more confusion to the dicey matter.

The standoff over the third basis of sharing revenue continues to deny the already hurting 47 devolved units access to their over Sh316 billion from the National Treasury.

The lawmakers had agreed to converge at a hotel in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, to share thoughts on the impasse and try to build consensus ahead of the sitting of the House tomorrow.

Perceived bias

However, perception of partisanship and perceived bias on the part of Speaker Kenneth Lusaka were the main reasons behind the meeting’s cancellation.

The Nation confirmed that 40 senators drawn from competing sides had confirmed attendance through a WhatsApp group until the phone call that threw everything into disarray.

They included nominated senators, who do not hold votes, and their presence did not give those supporting the committee’s formula a head-start or even suggest that they have numbers to push through the vote.

The phone call left Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata, who was to play host, clutching at straws, with an agenda that remained stillborn and lots of goat meat that he did not know what to do with. “A lot of effort had gone into planning, but the meeting was cancelled,” Mr Kang’ata told the Nation.

He also appeared to be climbing down from his earlier hard stance and instead called for sobriety among his colleagues on the issue.

Meeting cancelled

“Discussions are still ongoing. I can assure the public that something is actually cooking. I hope they’ll yield something. I urge my colleagues to tone down their views and stances,” he pleaded.

Mr Kang’ata could not to be drawn into discussing how the meeting was cancelled, or who made the call that led to calling off the talks.

However, a well-placed Jubilee Party source told the Nation that the caller was uncomfortable that most of that senators that had confirmed attendance were those who support the formula the Committee on Finance developed, and which Mr Kangata has declared as the position State House supports.

Between 70 and 80 per cent of those who had confirmed attendance reportedly support the committee’s formula, and it was the caller’s view that nothing much would come out of the talks.

While some of those opposed to the committee’s formula had confirmed attendance, the caller was concerned that the leading lights in the so-called “Team Kenya” had given the effort a wide berth, which in his view undermined the meeting’s outcome.

Portrayed as partisan

Senators Ledama ole Kina (Narok), Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni), Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka-Nithi), Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), and Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), have emerged as the public face against the committee’s formula and none of them had shown interest in the meeting, which did not go down well with the caller.

Furthermore, the caller was unhappy that Mr Lusaka had confirmed attendance. According to the source, the Speaker’s presence would have undermined the outcome of the meeting because it [would have] portrayed him as partisan on one issue that has split the House down the middle.

“It was advised that perception of bias on the part of the Speaker would have arisen if the meeting had gone on. With the benefit of hindsight, we should not have invited him. He needs to stay above the fray,” Mr Kang’ata said.

“It’s a very informal meeting, but so far there’s nothing to write home about,” is all Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura could say when reached for comment.

Late Sunday, Mr Lusaka led a section of the House leadership to a meeting, which among other issues, explored the available options as they try to get something going before tomorrow’s sitting.

Apart from Mr Lusaka, Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio, Minority Leader James Orengo, Deputy Minority Whip Beatrice Kwamboka and Mr Kang’ata attended.

“We’re burning the midnight oil to ensure that a solution that is good for the country is on the table by Tuesday,” he said of the meeting that also offers a peek into how the adoption of the formula has split the House leadership.

Deputy Majority Whip Fatuma Dullo and Deputy Majority Whip Farhiya Ali did not attend the meeting. Both of them are opposed to the Finance Committee’s recommendation.

In the opposite aisle, Deputy Minority Leader Cleophas Malala and Minority Whip Mutula Kilonzo Junior did not attend.

Meanwhile, Chama Cha Mashinani leader Isaac Ruto threw his weight behind population as key to sharing resources.

“We’re surprised by senators who oppose allocation of resources based on population,” the former Council of Governors’ chairman said. Devolution, he added, was meant to benefit people, not acreage.