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{
"id": 1393721,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393721/?format=api",
"text_counter": 151,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "with the CoB. It was resolved at that meeting that occasionally--- Article 228 of the Constitution provides that at least every quarter, these reports should come to the House. After that meeting, the resolution was that, if possible, on a monthly basis, each Senator shall receive reports on budget performance of their specific counties, which include Exchequer releases and the request for funding, so that they can monitor and do their oversight duties effectively. That practice has since been vacated. Unless I am the one who does not check my pigeonhole and the rest of my colleagues are getting, I no longer see that. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the reason I sought your intervention this afternoon is because I have noticed in the past few months, there is a tendency in the newspapers where we see coverage of budget performance by various counties. Reports by the CoB make it to newspaper headlines before coming to this House. While that might serve the purpose of sensitizing citizens on how their county governments are performing, what happens after that? This is the only House that can compel various county governments to spend resources prudently. Senators should have an opportunity to interact with those reports. Therefore, I seek your guidance on this particular matter. You need to guide the House on whether it is proper that the Senate no longer gets those reports as it was previously agreed in a previous communication to the Office of the CoB and whether we can establish a practice going forward. Of course, these are new offices because with each new term, these offices evolve even in their operations. The kind of reports we read in the newspapers on own source revenue--- There was one previously. This week there has been one on travel expenditure by county governments. All those reports are important. We laud the office of the CoB for making these reports public. However, for effective delivery of services to citizens and to ensure that people do not just read the reports--- For example, Makueni people will read how the County Assembly has traveled then what? You will be asked: As a Senator, what can you do about this? If these reports do not find their way to the House, as Senators, we are hamstrung and there is very little we can do. Therefore, we need guidance from your good office so that we can effectively execute our responsibilities."
},
{
"id": 1393722,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393722/?format=api",
"text_counter": 152,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen Onyonka, would you like to ride on that?"
},
{
"id": 1393723,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393723/?format=api",
"text_counter": 153,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
"slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
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"content": "Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
},
{
"id": 1393724,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393724/?format=api",
"text_counter": 154,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " You may proceed."
},
{
"id": 1393725,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393725/?format=api",
"text_counter": 155,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
"slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I second the Senate Leader of Majority, Sen. Cheruiyot. There is a responsibility that comes with your office and it is meant to be buffered with data and information so that when we raise issues pertaining to such an issue that the Senate Majority Leader has raised, we need to be believable. I completely agree with him that what is happening right now - I think he was being very polite - that information, which is out there, whether it is from the Auditor- General or the Controller of Budget, gets to social media and the media before we in the Senate, receive that information. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1393726,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393726/?format=api",
"text_counter": 156,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
"slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
},
"content": "I would like to make a request to you, that let us look for a way how we can make that part of our job more official, or in any case, anyway, I do not think that there is a need even to put those reports in the pigeon holes. Let them be sent to us online, on our email addresses and WhatsApp . That way, we will get that information and deal with it. Just like what my leader, Sen. Olekina, is raising about what is happening in his county, there is a lot of stuff going on. If you come to the committees where we sit, it is amazing. Therefore, like this case, I recommend that, let that governor be summoned and we analyse what is going on because these things keep repeating themselves over and over. I second what the Senate Majority Leader just said."
},
{
"id": 1393727,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393727/?format=api",
"text_counter": 157,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Sifuna, did you want to say something different or the same?"
},
{
"id": 1393728,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393728/?format=api",
"text_counter": 158,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Sen. Sifuna spoke off record)"
},
{
"id": 1393729,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393729/?format=api",
"text_counter": 159,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Sen. Ledama Olekina, please, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1393730,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393730/?format=api",
"text_counter": 160,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
"slug": "ledama-olekina"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me support the point of intervention by the Senate Majority Leader. Article 228(4) demands that the Controller of Budget shall not release funds to counties unless she is satisfied that, that money is being utilised effectively. These reports have been misunderstood. When they are played out to the media houses, you will find that the media house has those reports, but they write that county X is number one in development. However, if you read even what the Controller of Budget has the power to do, it is only to set that report on implementation of the budget on how much has been withdrawn. We know right now that we are dealing with over Kshs120 billion worth of pending bills. The only way we can be able to follow is by looking at those reports and going through the budget performance. It would be important that we interrogate the Controller of Budget in this House so that we know how it is possible that media houses can have this report and say that county X is leading in development, yet it is the Auditor-General who has to carry out that audit report. This is an important matter because right now, the diversion of funds - I have taken the responsibility myself, I have the CoB report but that is an extra effort. Article 228(2) of the Constitution says that it should be tabled in each House. Therefore, for us to effectively carry out our oversight, it will be important that each is given the cash requisition, so that we can stop this business of funds being diverted. The CEC of Finance and Economic Planning from each county requisitions money from the Controller of Budget. They send a spreadsheet, and in most cases, when you read those spreadsheets, you cannot make out what they are paying for; it is just a bunch of gibberish. Then the money is bolded in the big figure, for instance, Kshs300 million being withdrawn from the Exchequer - you get a credit from this account - The County Revenue Fund Account. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}
]
}