Revenue dispute halts Senate debate

Debate on the proposed county revenue-sharing formula has been postponed after a fiery start in the Senate, with Speaker Amason Kingi moving to calm tensions and allow time for consensus-building.

The formula, which will guide revenue distribution for the next five years, drew sharp divisions among senators from the outset, prompting fears of a prolonged standoff.

"I have consulted with the Committee on Budget and Finance Chairperson and agreed that this motion will be moved on May 22, 2025. That gives us roughly two weeks," Kingi told the House,

He encouraged senators to engage in behind-the-scenes talks to avert the kind of impasse seen in 2020. "If you encounter difficulties among yourselves and need the speaker or the secretariat to help bring you together to forge a consensus, we will be available," he said.

The move aims to give senators space to negotiate and avoid repeating the events of five years ago, when the Senate failed to agree on a revenue-sharing formula for weeks.

That period was marked by open hostility, political pressure, and even the arrest of several senators.

In the end, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta had to intervene with a Sh53.5 billion bailout to break the deadlock.

This year’s session is already proving contentious.

The Commission on Revenue Allocation has proposed a formula in which at least 31 counties would see a cut in their allocation. In response, the Senate Finance and Budget Committee has developed a competing version that guarantees no county will lose revenue.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang added his voice to the debate with a suggestion aimed at balancing regional concerns.

"As we discuss this new formula, we need to agree that each county should at least get Sh6 billion, then we apply the formula to anything above that," he said.

With only two weeks before the motion returns to the floor, senators must now weigh political, economic, and regional interests in pursuit of a common path forward.