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{
"id": 1462712,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462712/?format=api",
"text_counter": 281,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Your time is up, Sen. Peris. Finish the sentence. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
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"id": 1462713,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Tobiko",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Okay, Madam Temporary Speaker. I was just saying that the National Assembly should be on notice that even if they return the Division of Revenue to this House, we will not support any reduction of funds to the counties. I support."
},
{
"id": 1462714,
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"text_counter": 283,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Proceed, Sen. Okoiti Andrew Omtatah."
},
{
"id": 1462715,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462715/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Okiya Omtatah",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to address this House in support of the Report that is before us for debate. Under no circumstances should we stand by as the Constitution is being violated. The Constitution is an absolute bar to what the National Assembly has attempted to do. These figures are not based on the budget of 2024/2025, which was rejected when the President declined to sign the Finance Bill into law, following the pressure by Gen Zs and others. There is no way we will peg the Equalisation Fund to the current budget. They are pegged on what has already been spent by the Government. There are constitutional requirements and you cannot depart from them. My county of Busia was supposed to get Kshs18.9 million. It is been reduced by about Kshs1.5 million to Kshs17.5million. So, Bunyala South, Malaba North and Ang’urai South which were beneficiaries, will lose out drastically. As you can see, Kshs18 million is a drop in the ocean given the challenges in these wards that were approved for Equalisation funding. I pray that this House speaks with one voice and rejects what is being done. You have also seen that the National Assembly has proceeded to do a Supplementary Appropriations Bill, which I am told the President signed into law, yet the Court of Appeal said that an Appropriations Act must contain both estimates of revenue and expenditure. The Supplementary Appropriations Act that the President has signed only contains estimates of expenditure. It is time for these people to realize that some of us will not tire from going to court to strike these unconstitutional laws down. If this particular Bill is forced through, we will be forced to call upon the Judiciary to defend the Constitution by striking it down. Madam Temporary Speaker, this House must speak with a very clear and loud voice that it is a House that respects the rule of law, it is a House that respects the Constitution of Kenya and a House that defends the Constitution of Kenya. If the National Assembly thinks it is a law unto itself, that thought must end with this Bill. I support the position that the Bill be rejected and the Constitution be upheld over everything else, not even the figures or whatever amounts of money. The trump card is that the Constitution says no and it is an absolute bar to what the National Assembly is attempting to do. They better be advised. I thank the Committee for having rejected this attempt to violate the Constitution of Kenya. We are against and are at the backdrop of demonstrations demanding that the rule of law and constitutionalism be respected. With those few words, I thank you for the opportunity. I donate my time to Sen. Olekina."
},
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"id": 1462716,
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"text_counter": 285,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Laughter)"
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"id": 1462717,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462717/?format=api",
"text_counter": 286,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Okiya Omtatah",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
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"id": 1462718,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462718/?format=api",
"text_counter": 287,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Proceed, Sen. Orwoba Gloria."
},
{
"id": 1462719,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462719/?format=api",
"text_counter": 288,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orwoba",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to add my voice on to this Report by the Committee on Finance and Budget. I hate to be the devil's advocate, but I know my colleagues are expecting me to sing to the chorus of the Senate. However, especially after what has happened and with the revelations and the outcry of Gen Zs, it is time that we start telling each other the truth. I stand here to speak the truth to my colleagues. This is not because I am in the Senate and there is a battle between the National Assembly and the Senate. However, the truth of the matter is that after many years of devolution, we have to ask the question of how we are accounting for the funds that we keep on fighting for to send to the county assemblies. If you look at the rejection being faced on the proposal from the National Assembly, we are talking about a reduction from Kshs10.8 billion to Kshs10.07 billion. This is a reduction of less than five per cent. The President and the Executive asked us to live within our means, we must cut back and exercise austerity measures. We also said that every single Ministry has to cut back on the expenditures. So, what is different with the county assemblies, Madam Temporary Speaker? What is so special about the National Assembly that they cannot cut back on the expenditure? I am a member of the African Parliamentarian’s Network Against Corruption (APNAC). Last night, I was reading an analysis ---"
},
{
"id": 1462720,
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"text_counter": 289,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Sen. Olekina and Sen. Kajwang’ consulted loudly)"
},
{
"id": 1462721,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462721/?format=api",
"text_counter": 290,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orwoba",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, protect me from Sen. Ledama and Sen. M. Kajwang’, who are distracting me with the noise. I can barely hear myself speaking. Madam Temporary Speaker, last night, I was going through an analysis of Migori County where Kshs2 billion was misappropriated. Until today, we cannot get back that money. Apparently, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has gone into some sort of agreement so that they can get 10 per cent back and then let go of the alleged person who has misappropriated the funds. We have to tell ourselves the truth, which is that we no longer live at the times when we would come here to fight and say you cannot reduce budgets of the counties. Until today, some counties keep on receiving supplementary budgets because they are marginalised or that they need more money for more roads. However, counties like where Sen. Chute comes from cannot even tell us what they are doing with their supplementary budgets. When a proposal comes from the National Assembly that we are living in the times where we do not have this money, we need to cut back. Less than five per cent is what is being proposed. When my colleagues stand to say that we will go to court, where will we get money from after going to court? We are the same people who stood here after the invasion of Parliament and congratulated the Gen Zs for reminding us that we must live within our means. The same people are standing here to become popular and being sensational with this particular Bill to say no, we must send more monies to counties. I beg that my time is preserved. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}
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