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"id": 1017951,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kathiani, WDM-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Robert Mbui",
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"legal_name": "Robert Mbui",
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to also make a contribution on this issue of NG-CDF audit. We all know that this is the most visible fund in the country. We have devolved funds. The counties have billions. However, if you go to every constituency in Kenya, from front, back, right and left, the projects that you will see are NG-CDF-funded projects. It is a Fund that has actually supported the people of this country. In fact, on the issue of education, parents used to contribute to build schools, toilets and classes. Now I think in most of this country, parents are able to spend their money on other issues so that the NG-CDF can do those constructions. Hon. Speaker, on the issue of audits, I have noted that it is true that we all have to be audited and the Auditor General and his team have to go to every constituency every so often and give a report. However, I have observed severally that the reports that they give when they go to any place to do an audit, they are supposed to go and ask questions to the fund managers. Unfortunately, there are times that the questions that have been asked- we call them audit queries- before they are responded to, they find their space in media. Therefore, the questions that have been asked before the fund manager answers, somebody leaks them out and then it looks like the money has been lost when there is no money that has been lost. In fact, most of those questions can actually easily be answered. Therefore, it is important that the Auditor-General's Office notes that before you receive a response, do not release that report because it is basically half-baked. In addition, that is why you saw two or three years ago, there was a report that said that almost 99 per cent of Members of Parliament (MPs) were accused of having embezzled constituencies’ development funds. The other issue that is critical to note is that, of course, this is a political fund. Unfortunately, Members of Parliament do not implement the projects. Our role is simply to offer oversight. Anybody aspiring to be a Member of Parliament in Kenya- any one of the 290 constituencies- is going for NG-CDF to look for mistakes so that they use that against a sitting Member. That has been the norm all over. In fact, the reason why 70 per cent of Members go home is something to do with the NG-CDF. Some mistake is made somewhere- even the construction of a police post that is not manned - and they say that the Member has failed. Therefore, it is important that everyone notes that this is a political fund because people do not understand. But the reality is that we, as Members of Parliament, are just there to offer oversight. Hon. Speaker, I listened keenly to the Chair of the Special Funds Accounts Committee when he talked about the issue of standardisation of construction. He has talked about a classroom costing Kshs600,000 all the way up to Kshs1.2 million. That comment can be used to attack some Members here who come from places which are so far from the source of materials. This is because the cost of transportation... Moreover, I will say this: Even in my own constituency, there are certain schools that cost more to construct than others. This is because you could even transport the materials somewhere 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."
}