I’m ready to be kicked out of Jubilee over revenue stand, says Kindiki
What you need to know:
- He said he cannot support a formula that favours rich regions and neglecting the poor counties.
- Prof Kindiki said this is against the spirit of devolution whose key objective is to ensure even development.
- Last week on Tuesday, senators failed for the sixth time to adopt the formula for sharing Sh316.5 billion.
Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki has said that he does not fear being kicked out of the Jubilee Party over his stand on the controversial counties' revenue sharing formula.
Prof Kindiki said he “is ready to drink the cup of the top Jubilee and Nasa leaders’ wrath” for opposing the proposed “biased” third basis formula.
Speaking in Chiakariga in Tharaka Constituency Saturday, Prof Kindiki said he is ready to be expelled from Jubilee if that is the ultimate prize he has to pay for his “perceived rebellious” stand.
“I am ready to be expelled from the Jubilee Party if that is the ultimate prize that I have to pay for opposing the proposed formula that is biased,” said Prof Kindiki.
Even development
He said he cannot support a formula that favours rich regions and neglecting the poor counties against the spirit of devolution whose key objective is to ensure even development.
He asked Senate Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata to stop threatening senators with party disciplinary action but engage them soberly for an amicable solution.
Last week on Tuesday, senators failed for the sixth time to adopt the formula for sharing Sh316.5 billion allocated to the 47 counties even as the devolved governments continue to face a financial crisis.
As per the original Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) proposal, 28 counties are to gain while 19 are to lose out on the allocations, some losing billions of shillings.
Public opinion
Prof Kindiki maintained that on Tuesday, they will oppose the proposal and in case they lose on the floor of the Senate, they will move to court and later throw the matter to the court of public opinion.
He said come 2022 elections, they will seriously rally Kenyans against any leader who is currently supporting the “divisive formula” which will see some counties left without development funds.
“In the event that we lose both on the floor of the Senate and in a court of law, we will run to the court of public opinion,” he said.
With the divisions being witnessed in the Senate, the stalemate is likely to continue throwing counties into serious financial crisis as they struggle to contain the Covid-19 pandemic period.
According to governors, the standoff has hampered services, delayed salaries and is derailing the Covid-19 fight.
They are also blaming the Treasury for failure to release the June and July allocations.
