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{
    "id": 1018076,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1018076/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 268,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Narok North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Richard ole Kenta",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 420,
        "legal_name": "Richard Moitalel ole Kenta",
        "slug": "richard-moitalel-ole-kenta"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Let me, first of all, commend the Committee for doing such a good job. I would like to first of all state as you have said that when you look at what the NG-CDF has done and what county governments have done, these activities are worlds apart. In fact, if anything, if you look at the kind of money some governors are charged for stealing hundreds of millions, you wonder what the balance of what has been left at the counties is doing. There is nothing at all on the ground to show that any money has been disbursed through the county governments. The importance of the NG-CDF cannot be gainsaid. In fact, we have had Members of Parliament from other jurisdictions trooping to Kenya to find out how the NG-CDF is run. Most of them have started such kinds of funds in their countries. It is very important to know that without the NG-CDF or if the NG-CDF was not introduced in 2002, we would not have reached the developmental goals that we have in this country. The only problem is the limitation of the application of this Fund to education and security, which has left a lot of other sectors unattended. Most of them, like roads, water and health services have been left in a quagmire because county governments are not working on them. As one of the Members has suggested, it is important that we connect security with infrastructure. For example, if there is no infrastructure, how can you ensure there is security? How can you ensure there is security if there is no good road network? If there is no water, how do you ensure that children get proper health care? If, for example, there are no health facilities, how do you ensure that our children are secure? So, it is imperative that these things are seen as interconnected such that those roles are returned to the NG-CDF. While we were doing that in the last Parliament, a lot was achieved. A lot has been lost. In fact, we need more funds allocated to the NG-CDF. We cannot run away from it. If the minimum is two per cent of the Budget for example, what we are getting is not even that minimum. So, it is important that we increase it, so that it is able to assist our people other than letting a few “hyenas” take everything from our people. I have seen the challenges that were highlighted by the Committee. One of them is oversight committees. When you give Kshs30,000 to an oversight committee which is supposed to oversee implementation of projects, you wonder what is happening. It is another way of saying that nobody wants this kind of oversight. It is time the Committee looked at this, so that they can have up to a minimum of three per cent of the Budget. The issue of bursaries going stale is big. As the Committee said, ways must be found of ensuring that the money goes to assist the children. Sometimes money is sent to schools and the 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."
}