Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Moses Francis Masika Wetangula has said that the National Assembly is in the process of harmonizing bicameral relations between the two Houses to ensure more effective collaboration.
He said the Houses of Parliament (Bicameral Relations) Bill, 2023 currently before the National Assembly pending a Second Reading seeks to streamline the bicameral legislative processes between the National Assembly and the Senate which oversees the county governments.
“This in our view will ensure that both Houses pass legislation touching on the functions of the county governments devoid of any disputes on the respective legislative mandates of both Houses,” Wetangula said.
The remarks were contained in a speech read on his behalf by the Ugenya Member of Parliament David Ochieng’ who is also a member of the Speaker`s Panel in the National Assembly during the Second Intergovernmental Relations Symposium organized by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical (IGRTC) in Naivasha on Monday.
Wetangula regretted that up to now, there was still no consensus on revenue sharing for the Financial Year 2024/25 between the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), the National Government (Treasury), and the Council of Governors (COG) but expressed optimism that the parties concerned parties shall agree, conscious of the fact that the people of Kenya delegated their sovereign power to them to make decisions that embody the public interest at heart.
Consequently, the Speaker called for a truce between the two parties as soon as possible to solve the impasse.
“The legislation that finds its way to Parliament for the financing of county governments should in my view be based on pre-agreed negotiated positions by all Parties so that unnecessary conflicts do not paralyze the functioning of counties,” Wetangula said.
In the ensuing stalemate, the Governors demanded Sh450 billion in 2024/25 financial year budget projections while the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) has recommended Sh401 billion while Treasury proposals are Sh391 billion as contained in the budget policy statement.
Wetangula said the National Government is also experiencing reduced revenue growth coupled with huge expenditure incurred towards financing repayment of debts and with this reality in mind, as we move ahead, a cost analysis of the transferred functions should be undertaken so that it is clear on what are the exact costs of running county governments.
“This should form the basis of allocation to counties in every financial year. Additionally, counties should devise ways of increasing their sources of revenue to bridge the revenue gap. It is worth noting that the dispute between the two levels of government is always largely about the financing of the county governments,” the Speaker remarked, adding that “if this is resolved, we will move towards more productive intergovernmental relations”.
To this end, he advised county governments to take all reasonable measures to resolve disputes amicably and apply and exhaust the mechanisms for alternative dispute resolution before resorting to judicial proceedings.
“We have seen devolution at work and fourteen years after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, devolution is undoubtedly the key towards promoting the social and economic development of counties and the provision of essential services to the people of Kenya,” Said Wetangula.
He continued: “Consequently, we must never forget that devolution encompasses the aspirations of the people of Kenya and this calls for the need to always find solutions towards productive intergovernmental relations,”.
The Speaker said the National Assembly on its part is keen on enhancing the sources of revenue for Counties and the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2024 which was approved last week by Parliament allocated counties unconditional allocations from Court fines and Mineral Royalties amounting to Shs.3 Billion.
“The allocation is geared towards the enhancement of County Governments’ Own-Source-Revenue, from the share of Mineral Royalties to county Governments and court fines levied by the National Government from contravention of county legislations,”
The function was attended by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical (IGRTC) Chair; Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Kithinji Kiragu and the Principal Secretary (PS) of the State Department for Devolution, in the Office of the Deputy President Ms. Teresia Mbaika Malokwe.
By Mabel Keya – Shikuku
