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{
    "id": 1051882,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1051882/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 119,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": "Thank you. I was saying that I must state and echo the sentiments of my good Chairman, my brother, Sen. Sakaja and the Vice-Chairperson. The challenge we have with this BPS is that until now, I still do not know why we do it. In fact, my only concern in this year‘s BPS was division of revenue. This is because the rest of the recommendations in terms of the provision of Section 25, Clauses 1-7, I do not see any role that we play. Although the Chairperson has proposed and we have proposed in the Committee that the conditional grant on medical leasing equipment should not go to Kshs7.2 billion, it should remain at Kshs6.2 billion and the Kshs1 billion is reassigned, I can bet that the National Treasury will ignore that proposal. Secondly, a policy is a matter of the Executive. Our Chairman is extremely polite to the Executive when it comes to this BPS. The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for National Treasury and Planning had time to have a retreat, not a meeting, have a retreat with the National Assembly Committee on Budget. However, in our case, he sent us officers - they are not junior officers - but they are not him. Therefore, in terms of policy, I cannot say conclusively that the questions we needed to ask and the answers we needed to hear were communicated to us. On the question of debt, it remains a little hazy as to whether the national Government will exceed or comply with debt. As to the question of debt, whether the national Government will renegotiate some of the expensive loans still remains a little hazy. Our recommendation in this Report is that we need to see a debt register, to investigate whether or not at the time we passed the budget ceiling, the question as to whether debts will be retired was complied with. That also remains very hazy. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have raised this concern and it must go on record; that there is no policy at national level on conditional grants, both from the national Government and donors. Therefore, when the national Government proposes that the Road Maintenance Levy Fund would be put as part of equitable share, we are left asking more questions. You had no policy in the first instance. You have no policy why you are retiring some of the conditional grants. We do not know how they will be utilized. We do not know whether they are utilized, in the first place. The Chair and I are aware that the Committee of Sen. Wamatangi, I do not know whether he still chairs it, has been interrogating the use of these funds by counties. However, Makueni County cannot answer to the question as to the use of these funds. I The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}