Cord leader Raila Odinga has criticised President Uhuru Kenyatta, for rejecting to assent to The Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill 2016.
The Bill was meant to provide a framework for contracting, exploration, development and production of petroleum in Kenya, among other things.
"On the 23rd of September 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta communicated to the National Assembly his refusal to assent to The Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill 2016. It is therefore a critical Bill in light of the discoveries Kenya is making in the oil sector and plans to export the same while also ensuring that communities benefit from the deposits, in line with the Constitution of Kenya articles 69 (a) and 72,'' he said.
Odinga faulted Kenyatta, saying he rejected the Bill and proposed drastic changes to the benefits and sharing formula that had been proposed by Parliament, which includes reducing the amount due to host communities from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.
He said the President also wants to reduce County government allocations from 20 per cent to an ambiguous figure to be determined by the National government, to purportedly cater for “equitable share of taxes”.
Odinga said Uhuru was attempting to place the entitlements of the Petroleum host communities and County governments at the mercy of the executive arm of the National government, which he said was a clear violation of the Constitution.
"By rejecting the Bill, the President has confirmed to the marginalized communities in Kenya the accusations made against him in the past, that he is an enemy of the new Constitution and of the Devolution system of governance,'' Odinga said at a press conference, Tuesday.
He further indicated the rejection of the Bill by the President is a slap on the face of communities that had seen a realistic chance to pull themselves from the dehumanisation of years of state-sanctioned marginalisation and poverty.