Senate to seek Supreme Court opinion on Revenue Bill

Senators address a news conference following the announcement that President Kibaki had assented to the Division of Revenue Bill June 11, 2013. The Senate will seek the Supreme Court's advisory opinion on the matter June 12, 2013. ALPHONCE SHIUNDU 

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

Posted  Tuesday, June 11  2013 at  17:39

The Senate will move to the Supreme Court Wednesday seeking an advisory opinion on President Kenyatta's assent to the Division of Revenue Bill.

This was agreed during a closed session held Tuesday after the President signed the Bill into law.

On Tuesday, Majority Leader Aden Duale told MPs that the President had assented to the Bill.

Siaya Senator James Orengo broke the news to a shocked Senate and proposed the adjournment.

Mr Orengo said the implication was that the Senate was of no consequence. The Senate had wanted Sh258 billion allocated to the counties. Senators and governors said that without the extra Sh48 billion, some counties will suffer in delivery of service. 

“It is with deep sorrow that I received the news that the President has assented to the Bill,” said Kipchumba Murkomen, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Devolved Government.

Mr Murkomen told the Senate that there was a conspiracy to cripple the Senate and have it wound up.

“We have no business being senators if we have no business to do with allocation of resources to our counties… It is a deliberate scheme and a conspiracy of other institutions to ensure that the Senate is discarded,” said Mr Murkomen.

President Kenyatta was under intense pressure to reject the controversial Bill.