Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has opined that Members of Parliament are blackmailing Senators and Governors over the disbursement of the Ksh.10 billion Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF).
According to Sifuna, MPs are undermining the tenets of devolution by seeking control of the road funds which is a provision of county governments.
“They (MPs) have decided that they are going to blackmail the entire devolution ecosystem, the Senate and Governors to make sure that they get the RMLF,” he told Spice FM on Thursday.
Sifuna intimated that the tiff between the National Assembly and the Senate started when there was a stalemate in a debate of the division of revenue.
He noted that figures presented by the National Assembly and Senate differed, prompting a tiff.
Sifuna added that MPs rejected Senate’s proposal to allocate Ksh.385 billion, slashing it to Ksh.380 billion, forcing the leaders to hold mediation between House committees.
“I remember Ndindi Nyoro was the lead from the National Assembly and they came to the room and they told us no RMLF, no division of revenue. That is how they take hostage of the entire devolution,” Sifuna added.
“Counties are waiting for you to pass the Division of Revenue Act so that they can receive money. So they tell us we are not going to pass this thing. They were so condescending.”
The tiff has prompted President William Ruto to urge the warring parties to to grant him the permission to control RMLF’s disbursement.
He argued that there is dire need to construct roads across the nation and the funds being at his disposal will allow for easy disbursement and oversight.
“If you leave it to me I can gather funds enough to build all roads because the money you distribute allows you to build only a small portion and then it is destroyed by rains so I urge you to allow me to plan for that money in the way it can benefit Kenyans more than how it is currently being utilised,” said Ruto at a church service in Narok County.
Senators have sided with governors in the fight for RMLF’s control, urging MP’s to drop their quest for it.
Members of the Senate Finance Committee said they will not support any proposals in the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2025, currently before the House, without RMLF.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah said they are protecting the money from looting by governors.
“As a House, we will process the additional county revenue Bill without RMLF and let me tell them, it will not pass on the floor of this House. RMLF is a live wire in this House that you will never touch,” Ichung’wah said.
Council of Governors Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi said the matter is in court, expressing confidence that the outcome will be to their favour.
