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"content": "[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair]"
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"id": 1408702,
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"content": "[The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Wakili Sigei) in the Chair]"
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"id": 1408703,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orwoba",
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"content": "As I rise to support this Bill, I have really thought through some of the sentiments presented by my colleagues. Is devolution really working? I ask this because we are a House that ensures that the funds sent to counties are benefiting the people there. If devolution is working, then why can we not see the two per cent disaster management funds allocated to counties, money that is currently in their bank accounts working? Even as I rise to support this Bill, I have to be alive to the fact that we need to ask ourselves very difficult and pertinent questions. Devoid of this, we will continue sitting here and passing these revenue allocations to the county governments, while nobody is holding any of these accounting officers accountable. I just want to reference some of the reasons that informed the Kshs300 billion. Due to certain political and geographical reasons, our economy was unable to meet the targets in terms of revenue collection. There is also a reference of how we are affected by the Dollar exchange rate and the issues that come with that. In Section 9(e), some of the reasons that influenced this are low ordinary revenue collections attributed to the ongoing geopolitical shocks. They include the Russia- Ukraine War and the United States Federal Reserve’s interest rate. Also indicated is that we have financing constraints due to limited access to finance in the domestic and international financial markets. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not think our governors out there are alive to this fact. Every day, we talk about own source revenue; how our counties are supposed to ensure that they are generating revenue and their projections are going higher, yet none of these governors are interested in that. Yesterday, I was having conversations with my peers and some governors. I was questioning the whereabouts of the disaster management money. Where is the two per cent allocation? In fact, this morning, the Governor of Nairobi City County has been quoted saying that Sen. Gloria Orwoba does not know anything about governance or oversight, yet today, in the House, I heard Sen. Sifuna confirm that indeed, Nairobi City County has about Kshs900 million allocated for disaster management. We are unable to see what this money has done. What we saw is the Governor of Nairobi City County, hon. Sakaja, go out and pay transport for children stranded in Nairobi to go back home. That is not Kshs900 million. 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."
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Orwoba",
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"content": "As we are allocating these funds, let us also be alive to the fact that these accounting officers are actually not doing what they are supposed to do with them. Therefore, when I hear people saying that we have to push for more funds so that they get Kshs400 billion, the Nairobi City County Governor should first of all tell us how he used the Kshs840 million for disaster management. The same goes for Susan Kihika in Nakuru County and all these counties that have been highly affected. They have 2 per cent that is a lot of money. At least Gov. Kang’ata of Murang’a County gave proper feedback that, indeed, he just got Kshs10 million. We will continue to ask the hard questions, until these people tell us what they are doing with the money. I believe that this money allocated in this Bill is enough. Going forward, if disaster management is a function that county Governments cannot deal with, let it be brought back to national Government. As a defender of devolved functions, it is time that our governors are transparent with the funds that they have been allocated. For example, the 2 per cent disaster management funds allocated to all the 47 counties. Let them stop coming back and asking the national Government to allocate them more money for disaster management when for instance, they cannot even account for Kshs800 million in Nairobi City County. Gov. Sakaja owes us an explanation of what he is doing with the money for disaster management. I think, and I have a feeling that Gov. Sakaja is unable to manage this county. We, as a House that is here to protect devolution, can give him other options. We have seen what has happened in the past. Otherwise, I support this Bill and devolution to the extent that we should be accountable for the monies being given to the counties."
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wakili Sigei",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Onyonka, you may have the Floor."
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"id": 1408706,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
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"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
"slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is a great pleasure to have this opportunity to contribute to this very special Bill. I first thank the man sitting at the corner, Sen. Ali Roba, the former Governor. As my Chairman, he has been guiding, discussing and engaging us. I give him total credit and salute him with all the accolades. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I also give credit to the Controller of Budget (CoB), the OAG and my Committee Members because I sit in this Committee that was drafting this Report. There is a lot that we have learnt in the process. I also believe that there is also that we are suggesting that can ensure we improve in revenue allocation, expenditure and what the governors need to do. In the process of discussing this year’s allocations, a few disturbing issues came up. I believe that it is the responsibility of this House to come up with the legal frameworks for us to cover the gaps and ensure that when this money is given to the county governments, it does what it is meant to. I am proud that we have increased the money to Kshs415 billion. I believe this is a raw deal. However, what is most critical and important is the fact that at least from last year, we have increased to quite a substantial amount of money. That was our wish, as a Committee and a House, because we have constantly been demanding that county governments need to be given more money. 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."
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"text_counter": 155,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
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"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
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"content": "The contradiction of this wish is that we have also come across amazing things that are happening within our counties. For example, in Kisii county, the budget analysis report from the CoB states that it has just been able to spend 3.2 per cent of all the total revenue. It still has about Kshs4.4 billion in the County Revenue Fund (CRF) account, yet we have pending bills to the tune of Kshs1.2 billion and pension deductions for the workers of Kisii County Council, county government and the County Assembly. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, right now, the amount of money meant to be paid for pensions is about Kshs3 billion. That is what Kisii County owes its citizens. My conviction and belief is that this Committee, other Committees, the Controller of Budget (COB) and the County Public Investment Committee (CPIC) must sit down and engage themselves on what needs to be done with the outstanding bills. These bills include debt pending bills, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and deductions that go to the Government. This is so that we streamline the functions of our county governments in order for them to effectively work. An analysis of the challenges that we face with our Chairman is that the Governors have always raised the issue of late exchequer releases. I would like to say that even the Senate does not receive its exchequer releases on time, but the Kisii County Government right now is not complaining that salaries have not been paid. We have had cases where governors have mutilated budgets after county assemblies pass their budgets. The governors change them because they want to transfer money to the areas they want to spend money on. Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) are challenged, and they are saying that what they get paid is not enough, and yet in reality, we talk of how they are compromised, how they are not doing their oversight role and that we should make sure that we control the MCAs. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my position is that we should try and elevate what the MCAs are earning, the Kshs98,000. We should also provide them with autonomy from the money controlled by Governors even if the Assembly is supposed to be independent and oversighting the governors. Many governors are unable to pay money to the Financing Locally Lead Climate Change Action Programme (FLOCA) and the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NAGRIB). These conditional grants require reciprocal funds so that county governments like Kisii County can release money for FLOCA, which was done yesterday. It was only Kshs10 million that was needed, yet the amount of money we are getting from the International Development Organization and the World Bank will be Kshs410 million. On NAGRIB, you will see donor funds coming in, but everyone says that they do not see what these funds do. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, let the House make sure that we conduct our oversight role. Finally, I beg this House to get out of Nairobi and go for Senate"
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"speaker": null,
"content": "Mashinani"
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"id": 1408709,
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"text_counter": 157,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
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"id": 13592,
"legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
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"content": "to see the projects the county governments are doing as well as talk to the public. That is how we can build confidence in our country and make sure that the public gets the services they get. I hope that we will be able to get funds that can build a library like the one in Nairobi. It is a beautiful architecture, designed as an African drum and it has all the books 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": 1408710,
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"text_counter": 158,
"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": "in the world. However, if you look at the libraries we have in our county governments, they are despicable and look pathetic. How I wish we can figure out how to pay our Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers because these teachers build the foundation for the future leaders of tomorrow; like Bonny Khalwale. They should become doctors and lawyers like my Secretary General, hon. Sifuna and my sister. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I would like the ECDE teachers to also produce children who are going to be as wonderful as Madam Gloria Orwoba and all the ladies I see in this House fighting for change and the development of this country. With those remarks, I give credit to this Committee and hope that we will move and increase the amount next year, so long as the governors promise that they are going to be responsible and not misuse our money; and that they will be seen as future custodians of our country. I thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir."
}
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