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"id": 1051958,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Mahamud",
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"speaker": {
"id": 373,
"legal_name": "Mohammed Maalim Mahamud",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the debt crisis where we are is untenable. It is not something that is sustainable. If it was sustainable, then we could not be asking for debt rescheduling, which we asked for and were granted by some creditors. Measures of controlling debt must be put in place. The idea of just coming with a figure of Kshs9 trillion or Kshs12 trillion and asking Parliament, if at all Parliament is requested, is no longer sustainable. There must be a way that we can deal with this. Of course, we have infrastructure and big programmes, but the programmes must be things that we can manage ourselves. There are credits from the International Development Association (IDA), multilateral donors, the European Union (EU) and the rest. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this country has been living on that, but bilateral loans are very expensive. In fact, they mature before your projects are over. There are China and Export-Import (EXIM) Bank funds, which are funding our Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). I think they are all already due in less than I do not know how many years because the grace period is very short. Debt sustainability is something which Parliament must put its feet down, so that it is no longer that way. The issue in Kenya is not revenue. Yes, we have subdued revenue performance, but expenditure is the problem. Today, our revenue is estimated in the coming year at about Kshs2 trillion. Our expenditure is at Kshs3 trillion. We have a lot of very strong appetite for expenditure. Unless the Government curtails expenditure, we will not see the light at the end of the day. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, one Member has mentioned about the governance issue in the country. Parliament has lost its role in what it is supposed to be oversighting. Parliament has become part of the Executive. Parliament has become an appendix of the Executive. In fact, we only do what the Executive wants us to do. There is legislation, but I must say that the Twelfth Parliament has failed in its oversight duties. I heard earlier on blames about the Jubilee Government not functioning. The Government is now a joint Government, as it seems. Everybody is in the Government and defending it, and nobody is criticizing it. When we criticize the Government, we criticize individuals. The Government is not made of individuals, but institutions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if the institutions do not function, the Government does not function. The functionality of the Government must also be audited and checked by Parliament, which it is not doing. In fact, in this House, we must be a little bit honest to ourselves that we are failing on the duties we are supposed to do. The BPS is here. Of course, we will pass our report next week. It is usually a ritual. However, I hope when it comes to our DoRA, we will stand firm that there is real equitable share and not some clever way of bringing figures of Kshs370 billion, but trying to misallocate funds. The issue of misallocating the Road Maintenance Levy Fund is criminal. It is not right to tax our fuel users and come and use the money for something else. These monies should not be put in totality to counties the way they are put it. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, with those many marks, I support the report of the Committee. There is nothing else they can do. We will always have lamentations. The report will go to the National Treasury, and they will include and exclude what is relevant. However, going forward, Parliament must work on a way that we can have a 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."
}