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ODM Leader Raila Odinga clarifies earlier position on revenue stalemate

ODM Leader Raila Odinga has clarified an earlier statement released by his office concerning the current stalemate on the allocation of revenue to counties. The former PM had earlier on urged the senators to end the stalemate by adopting the formula proposed by the Commission on Revenue Allocation for the next 5 years. However, in an interview with the Daily Nation, Raila seemed to have changed tune when he explained that he made the statement just after he had gotten back into the country from Dubai where he had been on treatment, hence he was not aware that the CRA report had been amended by a parliament committee.

”The other counties are arguing rightly. For example, we say that they don’t have agriculture. However, they are pastoralists and have got livestock, which should be factored in as an economic activity when agriculture is being considered. Then there is the blue economy. The counties in the coast and those in the Western and Nyanza regions have the blue economy because of the lake.That should also be factored in.” he clarified. He also said that it was important to arrive at a win-win situation as opposed to having winners and losers.

Raila was speaking just a day after senators failed to agree on the third generation revenue allocation formula prompting an adjournment to give room for further negotiations. The ODM leader has since called for the deal to be delayed so that an amicable win-win solution can be reached. He said it would not be prudent to implement a new formula at the moment until more resources are made available. ”Allocation has stuck at at Sh316.5 billion in a Sh3 trillion economy. We speak of a 35% allocation in the BBI”, he reiterated.