In a sharply worded rebuke that has further exposed deepening rifts within the country’s political establishment, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has accused Members of Parliament (MPs) of weaponising a crucial infrastructure fund to advance political agendas and undermine devolution.
At the centre of the controversy is the Ksh10 billion Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) – a key financial resource meant to support county-level road infrastructure across Kenya.
According to Senator Sifuna, the fund has become a hostage in ongoing turf wars between the National Assembly and the Senate, with MPs using it as leverage to control how national resources are allocated.
“What the Members of the National Assembly have done is that because they are upset that the RMLF money is being fought over with the governors, they have decided that they are going to blackmail the entire devolution ecosystem. They are going to blackmail us in the senate, they are going to blackmail the governors to make sure they get the RMLF,” Sifuna said in an interview in a radio interview on Thursday April 24, 2025.
The senator linked the standoff to an earlier dispute over the Division of Revenue Bill, which determines how funds are distributed between the national and county governments.
According to Sifuna, the impasse escalated after the National Assembly slashed the Senate’s proposed allocation of Ksh.385 billion to Ksh.380 billion, setting the stage for a bitter mediation process between the two Houses of Parliament.
“During that stalemate, we go into what is called mediation – we have a committee that is made up of members of the National Assembly and members of the Senate. I remember Ndindi Nyoro was the lead from the National Assembly. And they come to the room and they tell us no RMLF no division of revenue. Can you imagine? That’s how they take hostage the entire devolution,” Sifuna recounted.
The senator’s remarks echo growing frustration among county leaders who argue that MPs have consistently sought to centralise control of funds, chipping away at the principles of devolution enshrined in the 2010 Constitution.
Speaking on Sunday, April 20, 2025, while attending Easter Sunday church service at Ntulele in Narok County, President William Ruto affirmed that the national government was best positioned to manage the RMLF.
Ruto said the national government would efficiently manage the road maintenance funds, resulting in improved infrastructure and enhanced connectivity across the country.
The president observed that overlapping responsibilities between the national and county governments in road infrastructure development had often caused delays and inefficiencies.
“I would like to ask these honourable members here. I am aware there is an ongoing tussle between county governments and Parliament, especially on the road maintenance funds
“And if you leave the funds to me, I will be able to organise plans to fund all these road projects. Because with that money, you take it and build a small murram road from here to there, and after one day of rain, it’s all washed away,” Ruto said.
But critics view the President’s proposal with caution, warning that vesting too much financial control in the executive could dilute the gains of devolution.
As the standoff persists, counties remain in limbo, with development projects stalled and road maintenance efforts paralysed in some regions.
For Sifuna and other pro-devolution lawmakers, the issue is about more than roads – it’s about preserving the balance of power that underpins Kenya’s governance framework.
Martin Oduor
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