The Senate floor turned into a battlefield yesterday as Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale launched a blistering attack on leaders from Northern Kenya. In a debate over the dilapidated state of schools in Mandera and Wajir, Khalwale accused the region’s governors and MPs of squandering billions in Equalization Funds while blaming the national government for their failures.

"You cannot lecture us about marginalization when you receive more money per capita than Kiambu or Kakamega," Khalwale thundered. "Where are the billions? Why are children still learning under trees when the Treasury sends money specifically to build classrooms?"

The "Victimhood" Narrative

Khalwale’s outburst was triggered by complaints from Mandera Senator Ali Roba, who had decried the "historical injustice" of poor infrastructure in the North. Khalwale countered with data, citing the Auditor General’s reports that show billions of shillings lying idle in county accounts or diverted to non-essential projects.

• The Equalization Fund: Since 2010, the fund has disbursed over KES 12 billion to marginalized counties to bring their services up to par. Khalwale challenged the leaders to show a single "model school" built with this money.
• The Contrast: He drew a sharp contrast with schools in his home county of Kakamega, where NG-CDF has been used to build storied classrooms. "In Kakamega, we use CDF to build labs. In the North, you use it to buy Land Cruisers for chiefs. Priorities matter," he said.
• The Defense: Northern leaders erupted in protest, accusing Khalwale of "arrogance" and ignorance of the security challenges (Al-Shabaab attacks) that hamper development. "You cannot build a school where teachers are afraid to go," retorted Wajir Senator Abbas Sheikh.

A National Debate

The exchange highlights the growing resentment in "down-country" Kenya over the revenue sharing formula. With the "One Man, One Vote, One Shilling" debate heating up, Khalwale’s comments signal that the government side is no longer willing to treat the North with kid gloves. The demand for accountability is replacing the politics of sympathy.