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{
    "id": 1077030,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1077030/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 236,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1835,
        "legal_name": "Anthony Kimani Ichung'Wah",
        "slug": "anthony-kimani-ichungwah"
    },
    "content": "It is on this basis that, last year, when the estimates were tabled before this House in my last presiding over of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, I chaired a meeting that we decided as a Committee that we would send those estimates back to the sender because they were not reflective of the realities then. I am sorry to say that even this year, the estimates as tabled before this House which we are going to approve are not reflective at all, of the realities that we are confronted with as a country. It is not just the revenue projections, but even our expenditure. If you look at the expenditure side of the estimates we are approving, on the basis of ordinary revenue of Kshs1.8 trillion from our taxes and the total revenue of Kshs2.03 trillion, we are projecting that CFS alone, the money that will go to repaying debts, pensions and other statutory payments is Kshs1.33 trillion. Almost Ksh660 billion is what is going into Development Expenditure, meaning that a further Ksh1.25 trillion of Recurrent Expenditure must come from money that is borrowed. If we are borrowing to finance our Recurrent Expenditure, we are digging a very deep hole for this country. If I were asked, these Estimates would have been returned back to sender to, at least, reflect reality on the ground. We must appreciate that there are things that we may not be able to do. We must ask ourselves, as we debate, whether the courts will allow a referendum. Will we have another Ksh14 billion that is not even provided for in these estimates to cater for that referendum? What would be the risk that would come with such a referendum in the run up to the next election only in about nine to 12 months? Therefore, I express my reservations."
}