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{
"id": 1027156,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1027156/?format=api",
"text_counter": 345,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayako",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "large states and small states, and they have a constitution to date. It was a difficult compromise, as difficult as the one we have today. We may not believe in miracles, but we must be optimistic. Two years is a long time, and if you are not a prophet of doom, this country is not winding up. I believe that the economy will grow and what will be shared will be bigger. I believe that during that time, there will be presidential candidates who will talk to us and address these issues to specific counties. Those candidates will come to your region and tell you how they want to fix it, but we are stuck with this decision and as a Senate, we must solve it. I am not a presidential candidate. I do not want to recede to Migori County and say that since I am benefiting, I am not interested in Narok. I would not want Narok to recede to other counties and say that since they are losing, they are not interested in Migori. The point here is that we, as the Senate, are giving an opportunity for remission. It is like a serious chronic disease, but we are giving it two years, hoping that a political miracle will happen and there will be more money to feed and share among all the needy counties, and we are all needy. Murang’a County is needy; I saw food being distributed to the poor. I did not know that there are poor people in Murang’a. In Migori we are extremely poor, but we do not want for these two years that I have a mandate here, to make Narok, Makueni, Kitui and Turkana counties poor. The two years that are being proposed is what the Senate can give. When we give it like this one, it is unfortunate that some people may claim that we are selfish. We cannot be selfish when we, in Migori, are saying that we are not taking a cent from you when this formula- -- Whichever formula you apply; if you apply the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) formula or the Committee formula that is based on the CRA, somebody will lose. However, what we are saying is: “Hold on, we do not want you to lose because I am here.” That is what we can give, as the Senate. We should adopt the approach that we can dialogue the national Government to allocate more money. If it is allocated to Kshs350 million or by miracle the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that some people do not like, allocates more money, then we will not be talking the way we are talking. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to support this amendment, knowing that in South Africa, there is a principle called ‘phasing in implementation.’ Often, South Africa has to come up with a revenue sharing formula. Their revenue sharing formula that is based on data and on the advice of a Constitutional entity is phased in for three years. In the first year, 30 per cent of the proposed formula is implemented. In the second year, 60 per cent is implemented and in the third year, it is the remaining 30 per cent. That is how it is done in South Africa. What we are debating here is not new; it is something that works in diverse nations like South Africa. It is something that should also work here. I am sure that two interests that are prevailing and are irreducible in this House. Everybody wants to gain money and nobody wants to lose it; those are two principles. Going by whatever formula, even if we were to postpone this remission to one, two or three years, whatever formula you bring, will cause more suffering. I want to conclude by saying that I appreciate the distance apart that we are, but we must come to one decision that involves negotiations and compromise, however 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."
}