Mt Kenya leaders urge the government to prioritize equitable revenue sharing formula

A group of political leaders from the Mount Kenya region have called for a constitutional amendment to end post-election conflicts in the country.

The call for a constitutional amendment comes amid a period of heightened political tension in the country, with some leaders calling for a change to the current system of governance.

The leaders from the Mount Kenya region believe that a national delegate conference would provide an opportunity to address some of the issues facing the country and help to ensure a peaceful and stable future.

This comes as Azimio leader Raila Odinga recently unveiled a seven-member technical committee to lead Azimio in the bipartisan talks with the government.

Raila listed 10 irreducible minimums that he insisted must form part of the deliberations.

Speaking to Newsline.co.ke , The service party leader (TSP) Mwangi Kiunjuri has said that all issues that affect Kenyans should be included and brought to the table for discussion.

Kiunjuri said that Kenyans need constitutional reforms and that all stakeholders should be brought together in any kind of discussion.

“In case of any deliberation or discussion, we need a comprehensive amendment for all Kenyans but not individual, in 2010, Ruto opposed the constitution while in 2021, both Uhuru and Raila brought BBI, this shows that something must be addressed,” Kiunjuri said.

He said that all Kenyans should be allowed to table their amendment desire and a committee will be set to check on them.

Kiunjuri called on all Kenyans to maintain peace and order and urged them to maintain peace.

Tujibebe Wakenya Party leader William Kabogo on his side called on the government to prioritize the implementation of the ‘one man one vote one shilling’ revenue sharing formula.

Kabogo said that the formula seeks to ensure that resources are distributed fairly and equitably across all regions of the country.

He said that the issue of resources being distributed as per the population and not geographical size has been a contentious issue in Kenya for several years, with some regions feeling left behind in terms of development due to unequal distribution of resources.

He noted that the ‘one man one vote one shilling’ formula is a key step towards achieving equitable distribution of resources, and he called on the government to prioritize its implementation.

“One vote, one shilling isn’t about Kikuyu as it’s widely speculated, it’s about fair distribution and equitable distribution of government resources,” Kabogo said.

He said that the government should be in a position to represent Kenyans equitably.

“We cannot continue to have a situation where some regions receive more resources than others, simply because of their population size. This is not fair and it is not sustainable,” Kabogo said.

He noted that implementation of the formula would help to bridge the development gap between different regions and promote a more equitable distribution of resources.

Party leader of the New Democrats Thuo Mathenge echoed both Kabogo and Kiunjuri sentiments noting that a national healing process has to be launched.

Thuo proposed the introduction of a national delegate conference to be led by Archbishop Anthony Muheria and society leadership.

He noted that the group should start by constituting a regional delegate conference that would traverse across the Country seeking opinions from Kenyans.

He said that failure to do so will plug the Country into the darkness.

“This Country is bigger than both Raila and Ruto and it’s for the government to constitute a team to seek constitutional amendment across the Country from Kenyans,” Thuo Mathenge said.

He further proposed the abolishment of the five-year term leadership limit for both presidents and governors.

He said that a constitutional amendment should include a seven-year leadership term noting that elected leaders don’t concentrate on service delivery but on the ahead election.

“We need a proper discussion where all parties will be involved for the sake of the Country, Kenya belongs to us all and nothing should hinder any discussion that aims to bring unity and growth to the Country, “He said.

Isaiah Gichu, Party leader party of democratic unity (PDU) has called on the government to promote unity and cohesion among Kenyans.

He underscored the need to review the revenue distribution formula to make population the main parameter in the allocation of the national cake.

He called on parliamentarians to take up the role of pushing for the amendment of the law to enshrine a fairer revenue-sharing formula in the constitution.

Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony for Juja MP George Koimburi at Toll Primary School grounds on Saturday, Gatundu North Member of Parliament, Elijah Njoroge Kururia pointed out the irony of treating Ruiru constituency equally with some constituencies in North Eastern that have less than 5,000 residents.

East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Maina called on parliamentarians to take up the role of pushing for the amendment of the law to enshrine a fairer revenue-sharing formula in the constitution.

Ruiru MP Simon King’ara urged the MPs from Mount Kenya to take advantage of the ongoing debate about negotiations.