Chief of the opposition Raila Odinga has supported the one-man, one-shilling movement initiated by the leaders of Mount Kenya, calling it the greatest course of action for the nation.
The head of Azimio la Umoja claimed there is nothing wrong with the strategy, which calls for greater government funding to be given to populated regions, in a move that is sure to incite political controversy.
He clarified that the strategy will guarantee the equitable distribution of resources rather than prejudice, as some critics have claimed.
Debate was sparked when it was first proposed by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The majority of supporters of President William Ruto have accused Gachagua of dividing the nation.
Raila joined the debate yesterday and declared his unwavering support for the policy.
“I want to agree with the phrase one man one vote one shilling. I agree totally with this,” Raila told a media briefing on Thursday.
Speaking at Chungwa House, the ODM leader welcomed the convenors of the Limuru III conference.
Raila went on to say that devolution is about distributing resources fairly, not equally.
Instead of causing discrimination, the initiative will guarantee that every Kenyan receives an equal share of the resources “created by our sweat.”
In attendance were former governor of Laikipia Nderitu Muriithi and secretary general of the Jubilee Party Jeremiah Kioni. The conference resolutions were being given to Raila by the leaders.
Speaking at the same event, Muriithi urged the national government to curb waste, emphasizing that funds of this kind had to flow to the devolved agencies.
The one man, one vote, one shilling revenue-sharing agreement has garnered strong support from the Deputy President, who claims it will benefit the Mount Kenya region
Gachagua advised the people of the region to keep an eye on politicians’ statements and identify those who are opposed to the initiative.
He declared that anyone opposing the idea was not their ally or protector and that the revenue-sharing deal was what the people of Mount Kenya deserved.
Regional politicians have been supporting the allocation based on figures.
Among the most populous counties are Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Meru, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi.
Northeastern authorities, meanwhile, claimed that the one-man, one-shilling policy would further marginalize their towns.
Some leaders in Meru have also disassociated themselves from the revenue-sharing deal.
Regional MPs emphasized that the Deputy President’s formula will cause some counties to be marginalized.
The current revenue sharing model distributes revenue into five categories: population (45%), basic equal share (25%), poverty (20%), land area (8%), and fiscal responsibility (2%).
Mount Kenya Politicians claim that this leaves the densely populated counties with little money for development.
