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{
    "id": 1077408,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1077408/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 120,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Isiolo CWR, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Rehema Jaldesa",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 601,
        "legal_name": "Rehema Dida Jaldesa",
        "slug": "rehema-dida-jaldesa"
    },
    "content": "However, I must say some few things. It will be absurd to imagine that we can achieve any meaningful development in this country when we continue to marginalise some parts of this country. That is why my brother - the nominee 001 who is always very passionate about the rights of the marginalised, the people with disabilities and the pastoralists - spoke so passionately. I wish I had that kind of passion to address this matter. When you look at the parameters of how these funds are distributed, especially the weights assigned, you will realise that 18 per cent is assigned to population, 17 per cent to health index, 10 per cent to agriculture and 8 per cent to land mass, without considering that all those weights, in one way or another, are based on population. When they assume that the number of hospitals in Nairobi, Kiambu or Siaya is the same as the number of hospitals in Isiolo, it is misplaced. In my county, you can even take two hours to access a health centre. Never forget it is a rough road. The only tarmac road within my county is the one that starts from Nairobi, goes through Thika, past Karatina to Nyeri to Isiolo and then to Moyale. That is where it ends. I do not have even one kilometre of a tarmac road from that main road and yet, 17 per cent of funds allocated to health are the same across counties. That is very sad. Likewise, 10 per cent is allocated to agriculture. Whereas Isiolo County has a huge chunk of land, we have a water challenge. We do not have water to do farming through irrigation. The people who struggle to do farming by using the river water for irrigation do not have access to markets because we do not have roads. And here you allocate a uniform 10 per cent of funds. It is very sad and unfair. That is why, as much as I support the Government and I am elected on the ruling party ticket, I stood here and opposed the BBI Bill. It is because of the marginalisation that the BBI would continue to bring to my people. It is important and timely that we pass this Bill so that counties can get money. Every time I go to Isiolo, I come back to Nairobi a very sad mother and leader. That is because I am approached by county government staff that have not been paid for six months. They are mothers, fathers and bread-winners. Their statutory deductions are never submitted to the relevant bodies. I know NHIF contributions are deducted from the staff of Isiolo County Government, but it is never submitted to NHIF. Therefore, they cannot enjoy the benefit of the NHIF cover. That is why we have lost confidence in the bodies that are supposed to ensure accountability in this country, especially the EACC. The Commission has become another cartel in this country. Governors who have corruption cases have representatives in its offices. They rush there with briefcases full of money. The Commission has become an office where justice is sold to the highest bidder. If I am told to substantiate, I can do so because we get reports from the Controller of Budget and from the Office of the Auditor-General. A governor is proved to have stolen money, but no action is taken. That is why we feel very sad. I was talking with the Majority Whip and I said sometimes my people say we would be better off without the county government. I could associate with what the Leader of the Majority Party said about some counties being worse off than when we did not have county governments. Our hospitals are in a very sorry state. Two days ago, I lost one boy while two are still nursing injuries in a hospital because of a shoddy job that was done by the county government, leading to a water tank falling on the three boys. One of them lost his life while two others are fighting for their lives. As we pass this Bill, we must put to task institutions like EACC, DCI and those who are mandated to ensure that accountability of public resources is taken seriously. As a House, we must rise to the occasion. We have failed in our roles. I support. 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."
}