The Senate top leadership has dismissed claims that it was coerced to accept Sh316.5 billion for the counties.
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka and Siaya Senator James Orengo said the Senate made the decision to save the county governments, whose operations had been scuttled.
Speaking on Friday in Siaya town during a funds drive for women groups, the duo said there was need for the decision to be made to ensure that the operations of the county go on as planned.
The leaders said they had to change tune from Sh335 billion allocation in the Division of Revenue Bill, 2019 after Members of Parliament remained adamant over the same.
Lusaka said the Senators' decision should not be misinterpreted as cowardice.
"Ours was a painful and patriotic decision that was informed by the need to avert the biting crisis in the counties. We just retreated, which should not be interpreted as cowardice," Lusaka said as quoted by Standard.
Orengo said senators saw the need to accept the money as proposed by the National Assembly so as to end the stalemate.
Governors had threatened to scuttle the operations of the county if they are not allocated money for their operations.