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{
    "id": 1072604,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1072604/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 87,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Hargura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 827,
        "legal_name": "Godana Hargura",
        "slug": "godana-hargura"
    },
    "content": "so, we could not rely on the same. Whenever a county assembly decides to prosecute its case, it must give us enough information for us to make the decision they want us to make. The county assemblies have to push and argue their case. It is not the work of the Special Committee to argue their case for them. In the case of Allegation 15 that has been substantiated by the Special Committee, we saw failure in the health sector of the county, which is a devolved function. It is one of the major cornerstones of devolution. Whenever the health system of a county is going down and that county gives more than 20 per cent of its budget to health, you are left to wonder. We were told that health workers are on strike and the main equipment in a number of the hospitals are not working at a time when we are dealing with the COVID- 19 pandemic. The County Government of Wajir received Kshs194 million to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. With such an amount, we expected the oxygen plant and other major equipment to be in operation. We were given instances where people, including a health employee, passed on due to lack of oxygen in the hospital, yet the County Executive of Wajir says that the employee of the health department passed on due to power failure. A gadget costing about Kshs5.8 million was required to connect power and have the 1,000 KVA generator to be connected to all electronic equipment in the hospital. We wondered what the Wajir County Executive did with the Kshs194 million that they were unable to procure a gadget costing Kshs5.8 million. That was a matter of life and death for the people of Wajir County. The Committee considered that issue as a gross violation because the Governor failed to protect the lives of his people. We urge the House to look at the report of the Special Committee and agree with us. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the issue of payment of contractors, which is listed at Allegation 14.1, where the county sent a requisition to the Controller of Budget to authorize the withdrawal of funds. The requisition had a list of the contractors to be paid. When money is requisitioned and a less amount than the request is obtained, the county government officer in charge said that the county is not obliged to pay the same people whose payments were authorized by the Controller of Budget. We wondered what the reason was behind forwarding a list to requisition for payment if the same people will not receive their payments. I urge this House to take up the issue with the Controller of Budget and tell us whether that is the position in law. As the Chairperson said, it is morally wrong, but we do not see any law that prohibits it."
}