Roads and Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen. IMAGE: KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN/X
In Summary:
- Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen rejects the ‘one man, one shilling’ revenue sharing formula backed by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
- Murkomen argues the policy is divisive and could disintegrate national unity, while Gachagua defends it as ensuring fair distribution based on population and tax contributions.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has voiced his opposition to the contentious ‘one man, one vote, one shilling’ policy advocated by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, joining a growing chorus of leaders from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party who have criticized the proposed formula.
During a public gathering in Isiolo North on Saturday, Murkomen dismissed the notion that regions with larger populations should receive a higher share of government resources, arguing that such a policy would be divisive and detrimental to national unity.
“Let me be clear, most of us discussing this issue do not fully comprehend its implications,” Murkomen stated, adding that the proponents of the ‘one man, one shilling’ concept lack a deep understanding of its potential consequences in fragmenting the country.
The Cabinet Secretary emphasized that if implemented, the policy would adversely impact infrastructure development in less populous areas, particularly in the Northern and North Eastern regions of Kenya.
Murkomen revealed that he had previously aligned with a group of leaders, including Senators Fatuma Dullo and Aaron Cheruiyot, as well as Governors Mutula Kilonzo and Johnson Sakaja, and UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, to actively oppose the proposal during the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process when it first gained traction.
“I, Senator Fatuma, Governor Mutula, Governor Sakaja, Senator Cheruiyot, and Malala united as ‘Team Kenya’ to voice our opposition to this divisive ideology,” Murkomen explained.
“Those advocating for disproportionate resource allocation based on population are enemies of our nation’s unity, and I am not afraid to say that because there was another group spreading messages of ethnicity.”
On the other hand, Deputy President Gachagua has defended the ‘one man, one shilling’ formula, arguing that it is the only way to ensure equitable distribution of government resources based on population size and tax contributions.
“In matters of revenue sharing, I firmly believe in one-man-one-vote-one-shilling. It’s a straightforward concept: the more people there are in an area, and the more taxes they contribute, the more funding they deserve to receive,” Gachagua had previously stated.
“This push is not just about our region’s high population but because it is the right thing to do. We are committed to ensuring fairness in the sharing of national revenue.”
As the debate over the proposed revenue sharing model intensifies, the contrasting views within the UDA party highlight the complex challenges in balancing regional interests and maintaining national cohesion.