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{
    "id": 1097874,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1097874/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 31,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Khaniri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 171,
        "legal_name": "George Munyasa Khaniri",
        "slug": "george-khaniri"
    },
    "content": "After the approval above, the documents are then to be submitted by the CECM for Finance to the County Assembly for deliberation and final passage. Allegations that these documents were never tabled and approved by the CEC or provision of evidence to confirm tabling of the same before being submitted to the County Assembly is the root cause of the suspension of the County Budget. It is very suspect that a county executive that has been in office for the past four budget cycles can blatantly fail to follow the laid down procedures in the budget-making process. The centrality of fidelity to the Constitution in governance and especially matters of public finance cannot be gainsaid. The current stalemate has obvious far-reaching implications chiefly in terms of processing salaries and statutory deductions for all staff in the county, procurement of essential goods and services, payment of pending bills and the whole tendering process. It is extremely difficult to understand the real motivation to the standoff especially given the fact that the alleged illegalities were noted and communicated to the concerned office bearers as early as 3rd May, 2021. Why a whole county executive would fail to discuss and approve the budget estimates at the CEC level is suspect to say the least. As my colleague Senator observed the other day, governors and their CECMs will abuse this budget cycle to build their campaign financing kitty and personal wealth. The leadership of Vihiga County has failed in line with Article 10 of the Constitution on national values and principles of governance. The issue of suspension of the county budget is only a tip of the iceberg in the governance problems in Vihiga County. The other issues include non-payment of recurrent staff in the Health Department that has been pending for more than two years now. It is unfortunate that even with the foregoing, an allocation for the payment of the health workers was not factored in the current budget estimates despite a court order. Other matters are bloated payroll, the numerous impeachment Motions in the County Assembly in recent months, which are subject in court and the plans to suspend the County Government as stipulated in Article 192 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the County Governments Act, 2012. To put it into perspective, the state in Vihiga County Government can be termed as a situation of musical chairs where the concerned have ignored their core mandate and responsibility and chosen confusion and witch-hunt. It is important that leaders always have in mind that leadership is a responsibility that demands so much. We are approaching elections and voters will judge all the elected leaders rightly on their performance. While the Constitution of Kenya provides for rights and freedoms, including election and litigation rights, we should never lose focus of the greater good. All the provisions of the law should be followed and not abused for political expediency. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I remind Members of Vihiga County Assembly and MCAs of all county assemblies in the country that they are the first line of defence for the counties and their governments. In Vihiga County, the MCAs should rise to the occasion and apply Section 134(4) of the PFM Act, 2012, to authorize the withdrawal of money from the County Revenue"
}