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{
    "id": 1110256,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1110256/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 242,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, health is over 90 per cent devolved. Nevertheless, more than 90 per cent of the resources of health are held in Nairobi. We want to see this money spreading across the counties to help our people. I encourage Sen. (Dr.) Ali that by the time we go to Committee Stage, he should do the comparison and the contrast between the original Statute and what we are bringing here so that we seal all the loopholes. We should not have situations where counties start saying that the Advisory Committee in Nairobi has sent us a gynaecologist consultant, but we cannot afford him. The people who suffer are the innocent women in those areas and not the county itself. The governors and their County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) whenever they are sick, they are flown to Nairobi. It is the ordinary citizens in the far flung areas that suffer. We need a cushion from the national Government. I have seen you have indicated that you will have the County Public Service Boards (CPSB) being part of the advisory committee. If Mandera cannot afford a particular consultant because of their budget base, then the national Government must foot what is expected over and above what Mandera can afford to keep these professionals and consultants in the counties. That way, we will make devolution more meaningful, beneficial and likeable to the people of Kenya because they can see the benefits. They can reap the benefits because the national Government must be made--- Sen. (Dr.) Ali, we have gone through all this. You do not leave any law vague, say what you mean and mean what you say, in whatever legislation we do. If you leave it to anybody’s interpretation, we will go back to the good old legal maxim from the United Kingdom that equity was equal to the length of the chancellor’s foot. What the Minister will decide is what will tell you that this is what I can do. Make it obligatory and mandatory that the Cabinet Secretary responsible for health is obligated to listen to and implement the advice of the Advisory Board. That is the only way this legislation will have meaning, will bear fruits and help the people of Kenya. Otherwise, if we leave it to their discretion, we will end up with what we have seen before. I advised that way, but it is my discretion to take or reject the advice. Then why do we have the Advisory Committee statutorily set up and funded by taxpayers’ money? We do so because we want whatever they do to be respected and implemented."
}