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{
    "id": 1013028,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1013028/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 309,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Poghisio",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 202,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Losuron Poghisio",
        "slug": "samuel-poghisio"
    },
    "content": "basis of the most recent audited accounts of revenue received, as approved by the National Assembly.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Equalization Fund is one of the special funds established under the Constitution with the intent of addressing historical marginalization in the country, accelerate development to the marginalized areas and ensuring as far as possible that those areas are at per with the rest of the country. It is, therefore, intended to address the fair distribution of resources in order to bridge the gap of poverty in Kenya. The National Assembly then debated and made the necessary amendments and the Bill is now before us. It has been before our Committee on Finance and Budget. I know that our Committee on Finance and Budget has done a good job looking at it. I am sure we will get the benefit of their report. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is a well-established fact that poverty is the underlying source of most development issues in the world, but particularly in this country. The problems such as law, literacy rates, maternal deaths, malnutrition and poor health outcomes can all be linked to poverty. One of the most effective ways of alleviating poverty is ensuring access to certain vital public service such as water, electricity, roads and healthcare facilities. This is the entry point of the equalization fund. The Article 204(2) provides that and I quote- “The national Government shall use the Equalization Fund only to provide basic services, including water, roads, health facilities and electricity to the marginalized areas to the extent necessary to bring the quality of those services in those areas to the level generally enjoyed by the rest of the nation, so far as possible.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is in our interest as the Senate that we support and entrench the equalization fund in the way that we represent counties and the people. The people in these areas are the ones that suffer, especially those in the marginalized areas as we call them. This is so that they might be able to get an opportunity to literally “catch up” with the rest of the country. This Bill proposes to operationalize this Fund by providing for the administrative structure through which the Fund shall be administered. I dare say that for most part, this is what the National Assembly has proposed. The Bill then proposes to establish a board to administer the Fund. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Bill proposes that the board shall comprise of a chairperson from the marginalized community appointed by the President with the approval of the National Assembly, the Principal Secretaries (PSs) in the Ministries responsible for matters relating to water, health services, roads, the National Treasury and four persons nominated by the Cabinet Secretary (CS). These are the functions of that board and just to quote a few- “It shall be and include management of the fund, consideration of project proposals, disbursement or monies related to approved projects from the Fund, monitoring and evaluation the usage of monies disbursed from the Fund and receiving and addressing complaints and disputes related to the Fund.” The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}