Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1099243,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1099243/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1046,
        "legal_name": "Kithure Kindiki",
        "slug": "kithure-kindiki"
    },
    "content": "country manage the challenges of disparities in development and poverty and keep this country together and united is a functioning devolved system. Today, this system has been abandoned. It is in tatters. The funding comes in bits and pieces. Sometimes, a whole financial year ends and counties are owed hundreds of billions of monies and nobody follows up or talks on behalf of these counties. This is especially considering the person who has been entrusted by the President to manage the National Treasury is a former Governor. He is at the forefront of fighting the very counties which form the background and basis for where he got where he is today. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to send a warning to my fellow countrymen that if we lose devolution, we will lose this country. If we cannot manage to resuscitate devolution, we will lose Kenya as we know it. Devolution is the number one thing that I know helped to stabilize and pull back this country from possible crisis under Constitution of Kenya, 2010. I, therefore, hope that as we release this cash disbursement schedule, we are not just releasing paper figures. As we go into elections, I am afraid that the backlog of this disbursement is likely to be even greater because of the commitments around election and the distraction that is bound to increase with time. I am a sad person that such a precious concept and project has been abandoned and left of the parents of those who do not think that equity and inclusivity especially in the dispersal of power and resources across our country is the only guarantor to a peaceful, united and prosperity of this country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, equally, the little money that is getting into our counties, has been plundered by thieving governors who have robbed every bit of money that would have provided better rural access roads and the most basic drugs in our dispensaries and hospitals. The plunder continues unabated. The drama around arresting governors every six or few months, arraigning them in court and then suddenly the case just goes quiet, has now become an old movie. We are unable to prevent and combat graft at the counties. The robbery happening in our counties is appalling. They steal drugs, roads, masks and anything that can be stolen. They have eaten anything that can be eaten. Greedy men and women who are supposed to be custodians of money for counties have eaten including money meant for mortuaries to preserve dead bodies. It is so sad. Yet, we will not lose hope. We will keep on fighting for devolution because we believe the future of our country is hinged on the success of devolution. As we go towards the elections, this being an election year, I am looking forward to see the policy statements of political parties around this issue of devolution. I want to make a personal commitment as an individual citizen and also as the Senator for Tharaka Nithi County, the party that supports protection and the realization of the aspirations of devolution, is the party that we must support and build. I am, therefore, looking forward that even in the Presidential debates that we will have in the next year, we must ensure that we look for real champions of devolution. New actors who can help us drive the devolution agenda to the next level."
}