NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 18 – For the third consecutive time, the National Assembly and the Senate have failed to reach consensus on the equitable share of revenue to counties, deepening a stalemate that threatens to delay disbursement of funds critical to devolved services.The latest round of talks, which dragged on for hours, ended in a stalemate despite senators softening their stance—proposing KSh 425 billion for counties, a KSh 3 billion drop from their earlier demand. However, members of the National Assembly held firm, increasing their offer by just KSh 500 million to KSh 410 billion.Senators accused MPs of lacking goodwill to allocate sufficient resources to counties, arguing that the proposed amount falls short of what is needed to support fully devolved functions like health and agriculture.Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana, addressing the mediation committee co-chaired by Mandera Senator Ali Roba and Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, said the Senate’s proposal would protect nearly a dozen counties projected to lose out under the current revenue-sharing formula.“Health is fully devolved, yet the national budget still retains significant allocations for it. By reallocating funds from health and agriculture, which are devolved, we can bridge the KSh 15 billion gap,” Mungatana said.Kakamega Senator Boniface Khalwale echoed the call for higher allocations, warning that anything less would roll back the gains of devolution.“We didn’t come to Nairobi to speak English—we came to speak for governors and county governments,” he said. “If we go lower than this, we are reversing the Constitution and enabling bad habits that divert funds from the grassroots.”Khalwale also criticised what he termed the extravagant lifestyle of national government officials, contrasting their helicopter convoys with the modest means of county representatives.“We’re tired of politicians flying to irrelevant functions in helicopters, while some of us can barely afford boda bodas. Maybe the national government just has too much money,” he added.But Endebess MP Robert Pukose defended the National Assembly’s KSh 410 billion offer, noting it was already a significant rise from the National Treasury’s initial proposal of KSh 387 billion.“That’s a KSh 23 billion increase—without introducing any new taxes. We’ve stretched our limits,” he said.Aldai MP Marianne Kitany urged senators to accept the National Assembly’s proposal to avoid prolonged delays that could hurt service delivery.“Let’s be realistic. If we don’t resolve this, the people who suffer aren’t in this room—they’re in our villages,” she said.Kajiado Woman Representative Leah Sankaire added that insisting on unaffordable figures could worsen the pending bills crisis in counties.“We all support devolution, but let’s not create figures that can’t be funded. This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about sustainability,” she said.Senators, however, insisted that the lower allocation disproportionately affects already disadvantaged counties under the current revenue-sharing formula. They say the government must back its commitment to devolution with adequate resources.Senate Mediation Team:Ali Roba (Mandera), Boniface Khalwale (Kakamega), Tabitha Mutinda (Nominated), William Kisang (Elgeyo Marakwet), Danson Mungatana (Tana River), Eddy Oketch (Migori), Mohammed Faki (Mombasa), Richard Onyonka (Kisii), Daniel Maanzo (Makueni).National Assembly Mediation Team:Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga), Owen Baya (Kilifi North), Robert Pukose (Endebess), George Kariuki, Marianne Kitany (Aldai), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Leah Sankaire (Kajiado County), Naisula Lesuuda (Samburu East), Zamzam Mohamed (Mombasa County).The mediation committee is expected to hold more talks in a bid to break the deadlock ahead of the budget deadline.