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{
"id": 1403601,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403601/?format=api",
"text_counter": 248,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13577,
"legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
"slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
},
"content": "Thank you. In the budget-making process of Financial Years 2024/2025 by our county governments, the CoB should ensure that all county government budgets for all pending bills have been verified and ascertained because they are due for payment to the suppliers and contractors in counties. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the second matter on the Motion is misappropriation of funds, where funds have been requested for payments to particular services or contractors. However, when funds hit the county accounts, they are diverted to pay for other services that had not been requested for and approved by the CoB. In this Motion, the CoB should be asked to ensure that all pending bills subsequently in the new budget are paid before any other funds are disbursed to any county. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, these pending bills have not only killed enterprises, but also employment opportunities that many trained, qualified and able to work young people this country have. The private sector collaborates with Government in creation of employment opportunities. Therefore, county governments can then not become the agents of killing those enterprises and the dreams of young Kenyans. We need also need to address through this Motion, multi-year projects that run in counties. Due to transition, the new administrations, through supplementary budgets, transfer the monies meant for those projects, stalling them, creating pending bills and wastage of public resources because, those facilities are then not completed for purposes they were intended for. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, all projects are subject to public participation and budgeting in their establishment. Therefore, when supplementary budgets are being passed, we ask the CoB to ensure that the funds for ongoing project are not transferred to new projects, causing the old projects to stall, therefore, creating wastage of public resources. In the near future, this House must also address the issue of transitions of county governments. The other day, we were in Nyandarua County accompanying the distinguished Senator for Nyandarua during the County Address. We found a county headquarter that was started more than 10 years ago. It was not completed because the administration that followed decided to abandon it. It is now that the current Governor is completing projects that, otherwise, should have been completed much earlier. This denies the people of Nyandarua services they would have received. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the CoB and her officers must have a keen eye on all supplementary budgets being done by counties, particularly the ones that transfer funds from one project to new projects. The control measures that ensures a project that was not budgeted for should not be introduced in the middle of the financial year, should be enhanced. 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": 1403602,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403602/?format=api",
"text_counter": 249,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13577,
"legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
"slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
},
"content": "I do not understand how new projects that did not have budgets in the first place, crop up in the middle of the financial year. This is re-budgeting within a budget without approval and public participation, therefore, creating wastage in terms of stalled projects and ballooning the pending bills. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other area that the CoB must be keen on and I think this House must review in terms of the formula for allocation of resources, is the requirement for increase of own source revenue. Majority of counties are not being honest in the capacity and resources available to be generated through own source revenue. Counties that are honest have suffered the consequences of getting less resources because of that factor of increase in own source revenue. That factor does not have any scientific formula for measuring. I remember, in the second term, a county would get an increase of Kshs600 million for just increasing revenue by Ksh10, 40, 50 million, compared to what they would have projected. Then, the percentage would look big and they would get additional resources; yet, they have no capacity to raise those resources. The CoB must interrogate the own source revenue figures being given during the budget making process to ensure that counties are not spending money they will not be able to raise. These pending bills have become a very bad practice in county governments and even the national Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we thank the President because, in the national Government, resources have been set aside and a pending bills committee is working to ensure that only verifiable and payable pending bills are paid, so that enterprises and business people can go back to business. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to agree with the Senator for Marsabit. If you delay paying your taxes, there is a penalty and there is no room for negotiations. Consequently, when the government, either the county or the national delays in paying our suppliers, then the penalty accruing from delayed payments, must also be paid. It cannot be that it is good when citizens are paying penalties and when the government is supposed to be paying penalties, there is a problem. These business-people have suffered for many years because of not paying their bills. I support they should be given some form of compensation for the delay of their payments. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in order to avoid the issue of pending bills, the CoB in approving release of funds, because that is based on certificates and the minutes of receiving goods, services or completion; the date the certificate is received and authorized by the county, should be the time that bill is due and as per the contract clauses. Those contracts or services rendered must be paid for at whatever period of time that is required to be paid within. This will be the only way we will grow the private sector and create employment. The Government alone cannot address the issue of unemployment. This administration is keen in supporting young people to innovate, particularly in using technology. That is why the national Government has rolled out a vibrant digital economy by establishing and installing all the fibre networks across the country for the internet to be available. 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": 1403603,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403603/?format=api",
"text_counter": 250,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13577,
"legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
"slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
},
"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when these young innovators come with their platforms where they are able to do business with the Government, it cannot be then that county governments or government agencies are the ones killing innovation by not paying for services rendered by the young people. That will be negating on what the Government is doing in ensuring that our young people take advantage of the digital space and economy to innovate further and earn themselves decent livelihoods. I, therefore, agree with my colleagues that the CoB is in a better position to ensure that there is prudence and there is no misappropriation of resources. As we conclude debate on this Motion, we should ask the CoB to submit to this House a report of every county on the payments that have been requested and what has been paid for. We can ascertain with certainty, how much of the released funds meant as payment to specific suppliers and contractors have been misappropriated in paying contractors whose payments were not approved by the CoB. Further, what measures the CoB is putting in place to ensure that those whose payments have not been certified for payment are not paid. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is need for integration of the system of the CoB to the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the National Treasury and County Treasuries to enable the CoB to monitor real time, check payments and even stop some payments for suppliers and contractors whose payments have not been approved by the CoB. In that way, our counties will be, our suppliers will thrive and the private sector will continue creating employment pportunities for many young people in the country. It will also support Government programmes in creating employment. We shall also have a vibrant private sector that will improve our business environment, attract more investors into this country, the region and our counties; and will be able to do business with counties. We have reached where a few counties whose contract banks can afford to give loans to their suppliers. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I, therefore, support this Motion. I also say that the CoB must have a very keen eye in making sure that we do not continue creating pending bills. I submit, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir."
},
{
"id": 1403604,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403604/?format=api",
"text_counter": 251,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": " The miracle Senator, Karungo Thang’wa Paul."
},
{
"id": 1403605,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403605/?format=api",
"text_counter": 252,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity to also weigh in on this issue of pending bills. For sure, we have discussed this issue on numerous occasions on the Floor of this House. From the onset, it is time for this House to stamp its feet and make sure that we help the county governments reduce these pending bills by coming up with solutions. Sanctions and calling those who are not paying this amount, would do. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was in Kiambu County yesterday leading a delegation of Committee on Health that was led by Sen. Mandago to visit the Kiambu Referral Hospital. At the same time, we happened to interact with the people. We even went to visit the Governor of Kiambu County at his headquarters. It caused a lot of excitement when the Senator was seen handshaking the Governor. It is just like when an uncle used to visit us when we were young. 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": 1403606,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403606/?format=api",
"text_counter": 253,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "We would go to the whole village saying our uncle is here, he has come to see us and he has brought a few presents. However, if you misbehaved, the same uncle would remove his belt and whip you. This is just to tell those who were excited that it was just a visit and I am back at work to ensure I am oversighting the same county governor. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the issues of pending bills are self-inflicted. The county governments are not paying the workers. That is the wage bill they are talking about. They are saying the wage bill is way high. It is not that the wage bill is high, but because they are not paying workers on time. We were told yesterday in Kiambu Hospital that the hospital casuals, what we call subordinate staff such as the cleaners and the kitchen people have not been paid by the County Government of Kiambu for the last six months yet somebody is in the hospital working for the patients trying to save lives. I do not know whether we can also call that pending bills. Do we call it a wage bill that has been delayed or salaries that have not been paid? Having said that, these are parents. Their children are going to school and the County Government of Kiambu is not paying their salaries on time. When I was in high school, one of the set books that we did was the Government"
},
{
"id": 1403607,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403607/?format=api",
"text_counter": 254,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Inspector"
},
{
"id": 1403608,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403608/?format=api",
"text_counter": 255,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": ". When the government inspector wanted to visit a certain city, he would announce. After announcing that he was coming, the children were cleaned, they were given good clothes and the mayor prepared his officers. That is what happened yesterday when the Committee on Health visited Kiambu Referral Hospital. They announced that they were going. So, the patients were cleaned and bedsheets cleaned. We were only shown the best part. I urge the Committee on Health not to announce next time. Do an impromptu visit so that you can see the real picture. Talk to those people. There was a certain woman who was trying to talk to me, but she was barred from speaking to me because they did not want the Chairman of the Committee on Health to understand a cleaner picture of that hospital from that perspective. Why do we have pending bills, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir? We have them because the governors over-projected their own source revenue. I will be bringing a statement tomorrow, if you allow me because we have to investigate the budgeting process of Kiambu County. We have to understand the wisdom behind over-projecting your own source revenue by over 300 per cent. Kiambu County used to collect about Kshs3 billion, but the current governor with his wisdom and magic thinks he can collect Kshs9 billion within a period of one year. Since it was put in the budget, what they will do is to overspend what they do not have. That is more pending bills created on top of the Kshs5.7 billion that the county government owes the people of Kiambu. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the contractors and Kiambu service providers are suffering. You know the court said that any contractor or anybody who is owed any amount by the county government can auction county properties."
},
{
"id": 1403609,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403609/?format=api",
"text_counter": 256,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": " Sen. Karungo, you will have your 9 minutes next time. Maybe today afternoon. So, you should be around. 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": 1403610,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403610/?format=api",
"text_counter": 257,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir"
}
]
}