Cherargei clashes with National Assembly over revenue sharing

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has expressed strong opposition to the National Assembly’s move to slash the amount of revenue allocated to counties.

Calling the decision a direct threat to devolution, Cherargei urged all Kenyans who support devolution to speak out and take a stand in its defense.

Cherargei argued that both KeRRA and KURA serve no distinct purpose and only siphon public funds through what he termed as "duplicated mandates."

According to him, transferring their budgets to counties would not only streamline development but also enhance accountability and transparency at the grassroots level.

"These agencies have turned into cash cows for well-connected individuals. Their responsibilities are already being handled by county governments, so why waste billions maintaining them?" he posed.

The senator maintained that strengthening counties is the surest way to ensure equitable development across the country.

He emphasized that the move to weaken devolution through budget cuts and parallel institutions was a betrayal of the constitutional promise made to Kenyans.

Cherargei vowed to rally like-minded leaders in both houses of Parliament and in the political space to resist what he described as a creeping centralization of power and resources.

"This is not just a Senate fight; it’s a national conversation. If we let this pass quietly, we will wake up one day to find devolution dismantled," he warned.

"I intend to table a motion in the Senate to abolish both KeRRA and KURA, leaving only the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) operational. The management of rural and urban roads should be devolved to counties, as they have a better understanding of the condition of their roads," Cherargei stated.

He further accused MPs of using KeRRA and KURA as tools to supervise and execute road projects, similar to how they oversee the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

On Tuesday, Senators and Members of the National Assembly were scheduled to enter mediation after the National Assembly rejected Senate amendments to the Division of Revenue Bill, which proposed increasing county allocations from Sh405 billion to Sh465 billion.

The MPs opposed the proposed increase, citing limited fiscal space as the main reason for not raising the allocation. Led by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa and Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, the MPs argued that a Sh60 billion increase would be excessive under the current economic conditions.

"I will be moving a motion in the Senate to abolish both KeRRA and KURA, leaving only the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to manage national roads. The responsibility for rural and urban roads should be fully devolved to counties since they have a better grasp of their conditions," Cherargei said.

He further accused MPs of using KeRRA and KURA to supervise and implement road projects, in much the same way they control the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

On Tuesday, Senators and Members of the National Assembly were set to enter mediation after the National Assembly rejected the Senate’s proposed amendments to the Division of Revenue Bill, which sought to increase county allocations from Sh405 billion to Sh465 billion.

The MPs opposed the Senate’s amendments, citing limited fiscal space as the reason for not increasing the allocation.

Led by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa and Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, they argued that raising county allocations by Sh60 billion would be unrealistic under the current economic conditions.