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{
    "id": 105463,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/105463/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 348,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Shakeel",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 140,
        "legal_name": "Ahmed Shakeel Shabbir Ahmed",
        "slug": "shakeel-shabbir"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Motion. Much has been spoken about the historic nature of today and the processes that have taken place to bring us to this place. The Ministry of Finance and this Government over the last number of years, has been taking us as a rubberstamp. As far back as I can remember, a budget policy statement would have been put in the pigeon hole the day before and approval would be sought when hon. Members did not even have time to read it. There were many a time when a Budget Speech would take place and overnight, we would have annual statements and estimates. We would all go and look whether that road that we had asked for was actually in the Budget Statement. If it was not there, it was too bad and it would have to come up in the following year. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Fiscal Management Act seeks to change this. One of the major problems is that I hear even among my colleagues here saying: “The Ministry of Finance must bring computers. The Ministry of Finance must do the roads.” It is not the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance has a role to control the finances, collect the money and come up with financial policy statements. They cannot and should not be the kings of the Ministries. They should not be the “whole and soul” which decides which Ministries are working. That is the way the Kenyatta Government was able to kill Majimbo, because it did not give them finances. That is what is happening with the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance has to now get back to the traditional role of regulating the economy at a lower level of a cashier. I know that they took exception when I said that earlier but in essence, what is their role as wananchi see it? It is to collect the money, find out how much we have collected with the policy statements and balance it with the outgoings. My wife does that. When I go ask her for Kshs5,000 out of the house budget because I want to go to a rally, she would say “no.”"
}