Wamuzi News Ke
The National Assembly has slammed the brakes on a Senate-backed proposal to hike county funding by a staggering Ksh60 billion.
The fiery session on Tuesday, June 3, saw MPs flatly shoot down the amendment to the Division of Revenue Bill, rejecting the Senate’s push to raise the allocation from Ksh405 billion to Ksh465 billion.
The message from the National Assembly? Kenya’s economy simply can’t take the hit.”We Cannot Afford It” — Ichung’wah Drops the Hammers majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah did not mince words.
“Our economy is under pressure. A Ksh60 billion increase is just not realistic,” he declared as he moved the motion to torpedo the Senate’s proposal. “We’ve looked at the numbers, and it’s only fair we reject this amendment outright and move swiftly into mediation.”
MPs rallied behind Ichung’wah’s call, unanimously voting to shut down the Senate’s demand — a dramatic twist that has now triggered mandatory joint talks between the two Houses.
Stalemate Deepens as Counties Wait the move deepens the already tense standoff between the Senate and National Assembly, as counties brace for further delays in much-needed funds.
In recent years, these revenue-sharing battles have left counties in limbo, with stalled projects, unpaid salaries, and mounting debt.The current crisis mirrors last year’s tug-of-war, where a protracted standoff saw an 18-member joint panel of Senators and MPs meet repeatedly to hash out a compromise.
That saga ended with counties receiving Ksh387 billion for the 2024/2025 fiscal year — a figure still below what the Senate had championed.
Counties Cry Foul: “It’s Not Enough”Back in November 2024, Budget Committee chair Ndindi Nyoro had championed county funding, warning against undercutting devolved units.
“We unanimously agreed counties deserve these resources,” he insisted. “We restored the Ksh385 billion from the previous year and added Ksh.2 billion more to empower them.”But the Senate wasn’t satisfied.
Senators demanded at least Ksh400 billion, arguing that any reduction would cripple critical, non-discretionary programs tied to national development — including Ksh39.9 billion worth of unavoidable expenses.
What’s Next? Mediation Showdown with both sides digging in, all eyes are now on the joint mediation team, which must bridge the gaping divide — or risk plunging county operations into financial chaos yet again.Will Parliament find common ground before counties grind to a halt?
