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{
    "id": 101089,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/101089/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 323,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kenyatta",
    "speaker_title": "The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 168,
        "legal_name": "Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta",
        "slug": "uhuru-kenyatta"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the Right Hon. Prime Minister has just pointed out, if we take, for example, the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), they require that money in order to conduct and continue to do the business that they are supposed to do. Within this Budget, we have different priorities. For example, we had an agreement with teachers on their new salary increment and we had a formula which we had agreed on. There is also an increment of 40 per cent that is supposed to be paid this year as part of the general agreement that we had reached. That is required. I agree that there may be some Ministries that may not require the entire 50 per cent. May be, as we perfect and detail these figures in future, we will be in a position to go through some of those items and get that breakdown. That is why even in my own Budget Statement, I referred to use of information technology to be able to analyze these things much faster but we are not yet there. We are moving in accordance with the new Act but Rome was not built in a day. For us to say that we can fulfill the necessary details in one day, might be asking a little bit too much. This is so and yet we are not recognizing the progress we have made, given the fact that the Fiscal Management Act that is being referred to was only approved last year. The process of change is not overnight. Therefore, I plead with hon. Members that the Government has to continue. There may be issues like the ones you have raised but we will refine them. However, we cannot expect everything to happen in one year. Reform is a process and not something that will happen overnight. When we request for some of these things, it is not because we want to have indiscipline in the Government. No. that is why we say that we respect the oversight role played by Parliament and approving this money does not in any way remove that role from this House. However, the Government has also set out some priorities which it wants to know whether they can continue. Ministries must also begin to plan and programme themselves. There are those that will be required to make advance payments for certain things. For example, there are those who need to pay university lecturers in accordance with the agreement that was reached. We also have police reforms. This very same House is the one that put me on my toes by asking me where the money for the Committee of Experts (CoE) is, but now it says that it will not approve it."
}