(KDRTV) – Seven Senators voted to reject the new revenue formula on Tuesday despite their counties gaining millions in the proposals.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja led the Senators in rejecting the amendments proposed by Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata in the dramatic vote on Tuesday. Nairobi would have gained at least Ksh 100m in the new formula.
But Sakaja said the amount is not enough and there was no reason Nairobi to gain such an amount which would have been deducted from other counties.
Apart from Sakaja, Senators; Cleophas Malala (Kakamega), Sam Ongeri (Kisii), Anwar Oloititip (Lamu), Philip Mpaayei (Kajiado), Boniface Kabaka (Machakos) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) opposed the committee report.
Ongeri probably stood with his Nyamira counterpart Okong’o Omogeni. Nyamira was to lose money in the new formula. Senator Kabaka of Machakos did not want Kitui and Makueni to lose funds and. The Lamu Senator felt that it was an injustice for his county to gain as other coastal counties lost money.
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Senate Deputy Majority leader Fatuma Dullo and Deputy Majority Whip Farhiya Ali also voted against Kangata’s proposals. By virtue of their positions, the two should have supported the government report.
On Tuesday, Kangata warned that Jubilee Party would take disciplinary action against members who are in house leadership but opposed the motion. He was referring to Dullo and Farhiya. It is not clear how the punishment will be meted.
