Sifuna lamented that the Parliament was turning over the powers vested in both the National Assembly and the Senate houses to other State organs, including that which is responsible for the country’s public coffers.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna on Wednesday, November 20 slammed National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over his sentiments regarding allocating Ksh380 billion to county governments in light of a threat by governors to paralyse operations in all counties.
Speaking before a Parliament committee, Sifuna lamented that the Parliament was turning over the powers vested in both the National Assembly and the Senate houses to other State organs, including that which is responsible for the country’s public coffers.
According to the ODM legislator, some things are simply unacceptable “to me as a person who understands the Constitution and believes in the purity of the doctrine of separation of powers.”
He believed that if key parliamentary decisions were allegedly going to be made by the Executive at State House, then the 13th Parliament should be dissolved.
President William Ruto addressing a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group in State House, Nairobi on November 16, 2022. /PCS
“We as Parliament should not be the ones seeding power that is vested in Parliament to other organs of State. It cannot be possible that the Treasury CS is the one telling us that the only money he can give county governments is Ksh380 billion. Then what is the role of Parliament?” Sifuna posed.
“We should dissolve Parliament and let John Mbadi make all the decisions he wants to make on the money. I cannot afford the position that we are going to negotiate the division of revenue in the State House. If we have been given a constitutional mandate as parliament, let us do our job.”
He called out Mbadi’s sentiments by claiming that the CS was speaking as though the Treasury money was his money.
Sifuna claimed that MPs are subjecting themselves to an institution they are supposed to oversight. “You will never see me in State House being summoned by the President”, further maintaining that the Budget is not prepared by the executive since it is not a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly.
“I cannot accept the position that we are going to negotiate the Division of Revenue at State House, that is not going to happen,” he said, adding “If we have been given the constitutional mandate by Parliament, let us do our job. Let us execute our mandate, that is what people expect.”
The Senate has proposed Ksh400.1 billion for the 47 counties, but the National Assembly insists on Ksh380 billion, creating a financial standoff that threatens county operations.
The standoff comes after a mediation committee, composed of members from the National Assembly and Senate, failed to reach an agreement during a meeting on November 12, 2024.
On Monday, the Council of Governors (CoG) disclosed that it supported the Senate’s decision to retain the county allocation at Ksh400 billion after the National Assembly proposed a reduction of Ksh20 billion, with the governors noting that any reduction to the county equitable share will negatively affect service delivery.
“The Council takes great exception to the National Assembly’s decision to reduce the County Equitable Share by Ksh20 billion.
“Any reduction to county equitable share will negatively affect service delivery and grind the counties to a halt considering that the allocated amount of Ksh400.117 billion is based on historical audited accounts,” CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi stated.
