NAIROBI — For the third straight session, Kenya’s Senate and National Assembly adjourned without agreeing on how much national revenue to allocate to counties. The stalemate now threatens to hold up critical funds for devolved services like health and agriculture.
Senators softened their demand, cutting their offer from KSh 428 billion to KSh 425 billion. MPs countered with KSh 410 billion, a KSh 500 million increase over their last proposal.
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana told the joint mediation panel that the Senate figure would shield about a dozen counties facing cuts under the current formula. “Health is fully devolved, yet large sums remain at the center. A shift of KSh 15 billion from national allocations closes that gap,” he said.
Kakamega Senator Boniface Khalwale warned that a lower figure would roll back devolution gains. “We’re here for governors and counties. Anything less undoes the Constitution and empowers waste at the grassroots,” he said. Khalwale added that national leaders’ lavish travel stood in stark contrast to county officials’ modest means.
Endebess MP Robert Pukose defended the Assembly’s offer as already far above the Treasury’s original KSh 387 billion proposal. “We raised it by KSh 23 billion without new taxes. We’ve stretched our limits,” he said.
Aldai MP Marianne Kitany urged compromise to avoid service disruptions. “Every day this drags on, people in our villages suffer,” she said. Kajiado Woman Rep. Leah Sankaire stressed fiscal realism. “We must support devolution, but within our means. Unsustainable figures only worsen county debts,” she warned.
Senators countered that underfunding hits disadvantaged counties hardest. They insisted that the government match its devolution promises with adequate resources.
Co-chaired by Mandera Senator Ali Roba and Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, the mediation team will meet again before the budget deadline in hopes of ending the impasse and ensuring timely disbursement of county funds.
