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{
    "id": 1005439,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1005439/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 375,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "they cannot even spend on one single item. It is wired in at the last minute and they are the cause of the pending bills that are rolled over to the next financial year. Therefore, when the National Treasury says that they must give the pending bills a first charge, they are already crippling the budgets of the counties, particularly, as they start the new financial year. This is because they go according to budgets and programmes that they have developed and were approved by the county assemblies. Therefore, they will require other supplementary estimates to factor in those other pending bills so that they can discharge whatever they carry over. I think that we have identified the problem. The normal mischief is that they switch off the IFMIS. Right now, the IFMIS is not functioning and I think that Sen. Sakaja knows, he was in the National Treasury, that when they are hard up on finances or resources at the National Treasury side, the easiest way is a malfunctioning of the IFMIS platform. That is what has been happening. I heard that up to yesterday, some counties are struggling; they have not paid the salaries for May and June. This is a very urgent matter and the Committee on Finance and Budget, if you so rule, should pursue this matter. This has been our worry all the time; that the National Treasury must at all times issue the Exchequer releases in a timely and predictable manner. Right now, that timely and predictable manner is not realized and is causing a lot of distress and difficulties for county governments. I will quote my own County, Kisii, they have problems in getting the Exchequer release and yet they have complied with all these other requirements that are needed for them to have the Exchequer releases. They complied with what the National Treasury said and now they say that they do not have funds to release. I think that we should weigh in as the Senate on this matter, if we are going to require that- (1) County governments should not carry over pending bills; and, (2) County governments should be able to pay the statutory deductions, and of course, the first charge of the Wage Bill for human resource deployment is a right. If you have worked for a job, it is a right for you to be paid for what you have worked for. Delaying workers pay from May to June, I think that it is a very dangerous thing and it does not spell well for the National Treasury. I support."
}