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Cherargei differs with NA over shareable revenue

Cherargei differs with NA over shareable revenue
Nandi county senator Samson Cherargei during a previous event. PHOTO/@Senate_KE/X

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has differed with the National Assembly over its decision to reduce shareable revenues to counties.

Terming the move threat to devolution, Cherargei asked all pro-devolution citizens to rise up and defend devolution.

The senator charged that reducing the equitable shareable revenues from Sh465 billion as proposed by the Senate to Sh401 billion amounted to direct attack on devolution and accused the National Assembly of double standards.

He said the excuse MPs gave as the reason for the cut as “corruption”, amounted to hypocrisy since the vice was more pronounced in the national government than in devolved units.

“For a national budget of Sh4 trillion, Sh400 billion to be allocated to counties is too little… the only reason why MPs are reducing the figure is because the Senate is opposed to the National Government Constituency Development Fund,” Cherargei charged.  

He spoke during a public participation meeting for the 2025/26 national budget at Eliud Kipchoge Athletics Training Camp in Kapsabet town, Nandi County on Wednesday evening.

Cherargei hit out at MPs for allegedly becoming “petty” explaining that “devolution was under attack” and appealed to pro-devolution leaders to stand up and be counted.

“I’m appealing to pro-devolution leaders led by ODM leader Raila Odinga to defend the units because some people in government want to kill it,” the senator said.

Cherargei also wants the scrapping of Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) saying they were mere ‘cash cows’ for cartels.

The Senator wants allocations for the two state corporations be diverted to the counties claiming their role was duplications from what the devolved units are doing.

“I will be moving a motion in the Senate to have the two; KERRA and KURA scrapped and the country to remain with only Kenya National Highways Authority-KENHA while the rest should be devolved because the counties know the state of their respective roads,” Cherargei added.

He accused MPs of being supervisors and executors of road works using KERRA and KURA, “just the same way they control NG-CDF.”

On Tuesday, Senators and Members of the National Assembly were headed for mediation after the latter rejected amendment to the Division of Revenue bill that would have increased the allocation to counties from Sh405 billion to Sh465 billion.

The MPs rejected the senate amendments on grounds that the current fiscal space does not allow a review of monies upward.

Led by leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa and Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, the MPs said increasing the said allocations by a whopping Sh60 billion would be abnormal.

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