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{
"id": 1015335,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1015335/?format=api",
"text_counter": 150,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Makueni, WDM-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Daniel Maanzo",
"speaker": {
"id": 2197,
"legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
"slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
},
"content": "that we can peruse and find the way forward. More importantly, I want to thank the Executive for coming up to assist the country when things were beginning to stall. Devolution is in the Constitution and it is very important for this country. We are looking for ways, including the BBI, on how to make devolution better in this country, although it has been having a lot of challenges in the past. For the counties to take three months now without funds, it means that, eventually, people will be paid salaries for not having worked as such. It also means the delay of development and other very crucial matters, including agriculture, because we are going towards the rainy season. The delay was as a result of the impasse which was there. So, we must improve, as Parliament, so that, in future, there are no delays of such nature as well as wastage of time and finances. If you look at the formula and what is important for the country, you will find that agriculture is very key in this country. We have sugar-cane growing which is happening in western and coastal counties. We also have the blue economy, for instance, fishing, which is lost, whether it is happening at the counties or at the national level. We need to see an effort in terms of investment. There is 70 per cent recurrent and 30 per cent development expenditures in the counties, which should be the other way round. It means that we are employing so many people who should be put into good use and yet, we are doing very little development in the counties as evident from the 30 per cent development expenditure. That explains the reason why even a simple fund like the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), which is such a small percentage, seems to be doing better as a devolved fund in the constituencies than the devolved funds at the counties. This is something to be looked at again in future to make sure that the development is increased as time moves on, and make it specific and clear. This is because the devolved units are specific, for example, health. However, for agriculture, there must be the presence of water because the two of them go together. This is what can really cause development at the grassroots. For the pastoralists, if they have water and pasture, the animals will do much better if they employ better techniques in animal husbandry and even have the technical know- how of processing the animal products, which will then get sold locally or internationally. If issues of food basket of the country and coming up with irrigation schemes are not being debated at the Senate, the county assemblies or by ourselves through the allocation of funds to specific projects, then it becomes very absurd. It means we will never produce enough food for our population. This being an agricultural country, we need to have proper irrigation schemes to be able to produce enough food for ourselves, and also sell to other countries to earn foreign exchange. Therefore, when you look at the whole budgetary allocation and the role of the Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) which has been very good, we really need to amalgamate it and make sure that it is properly synchronised so that some developments can be felt. We have talked about devolution. However, to be very honest, although it is a very good concept, Kenyans are not happy with what is happening in the counties. Raising revenue is a very important matter nationally and in the counties. Unfortunately, the management of the revenues raised in the counties, up to now, is very unclear. There must be a way of making sure that all the monies raised in the counties are accounted for, so that most of it is not lost to the revenue collectors themselves and other county government officials. There must be a kitty, although it has been allocated 2 per cent, which we are able to tap at some point. During the three months of the impasse where they were almost closing hospitals, they should have had enough monies to run those facilities at the grassroots. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I beg to support. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}