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{
    "id": 1054707,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1054707/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "I was surprised to hear my predecessor talk about the construction of county headquarters as if it is a preferential grant to some counties to the exclusion of others. Indeed, Members may remember that at the passage of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, the Transitional Authority was set up by this House that went round the entire 47 counties to establish their state of readiness to operate as devolved units. They checked whether counties had facilities or headquarters. Those that were identified as not having headquarters were five including Nyandarua. As the construction started, challenges came in, in terms of the slow disbursement of funds and issues with contractors. As I speak, Nyandarua County Headquarters is on a temporary basis, eight years into devolution. The construction was only resuscitated last year because of issues with contractors following the slow disbursement. So, it is important that people put some of these things into context because we might be misleading the public and giving the impression that this Budget is sending funds to specific areas to the exclusion of others. All the other donor funded projects are itemised here in terms of why and where they are happening. It is not the last to happen. More will happen in future. If you look at those figures, we are talking of about 30.2 per cent being given to the counties compared to the percentage of disbursement in the 2016/2017 Financial Year. Without even getting into the debate that we will have after the 23rd when we discuss the BBI Report, one can now see that the Constitution requires a 15 per cent disbursement. However, His Excellency the President, in his own wisdom and magnanimity, decided to double the amount disbursed to the counties because he believes in devolution. There will come a time when there will be some people who do not believe in devolution and they could stick to 15 per cent. Everyone is saying that they need more money. If we were to give 15 per cent, we would be giving counties Kshs200 billion. They receive Kshs370 billion yet they are still crying for more. We are giving about Kshs200 billion, which is hardly enough to execute the 14 functions that were anticipated they would be doing when the 15 per cent was put in the Constitution in 2010. This explains the wisdom of looking into the Constitution - the discretionary giving of money to counties by the President, as a revision to the Constitution. The reality has shown that 15 per cent is not enough. It is currently Kshs200 billion. By increasing it to 35 per cent, the counties can have predictability. As they do their county integrated development plans, they will know that they are working with a certain figure, which is not less than Kshs400 billion, and can even secure their 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."
}