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{
"id": 1126928,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1126928/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Navakholo, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe",
"speaker": {
"id": 2543,
"legal_name": "Emmanuel Wangwe",
"slug": "emmanuel-wangwe"
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"content": "This Bill provides a legal framework and mainly touches on the grants and donations to the 47 counties. There are operational and staffing issues that were inherited from the defunct local authorities. Counties should look into strategic issues that will enable them to raise their own revenues in an efficient and effective manner. When you look at the conditional allocations for the Financial Year 2021/2022, which are for the purpose of building headquarters for various counties, they basically amount to Ksh332 million. Some of it has been allocated Isiolo, Lamu, Nyandarua, Tana River, and Tharaka-Nithi. There are conditional allocations for the leasing of medical equipment, which monies are to be shared equally among the counties at a rate of Ksh153 million. In total, we are talking of about Ksh7.2 billion. There are conditional allocations resulting from loans and grants from Development Partners to each county government for the Financial Year 2021/2022, totalling to about Kshs32 billion. This includes about Ksh2.2 billion World Bank funding meant to transform the health sector through universal healthcare projects. Conditional allocations through the Ministry of Health are meant to improve delivery of service, utilisation and equality of primary healthcare services with focus on reproductive, maternal, new-born child and adolescent health at the county levels. Public participation was done as is indicated in the Report. For the benefit of my colleagues, the Report was tabled this afternoon and is in the Table Office. So, I just want to remind you to, please, access it at the Table Office. We interrogated the Council of Governors (CoG), the Controller of Budget, the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) and the National Treasury. The Bill grants shall be released to the County Revenue Funds account upon compliance with the conditions set out by the National Treasury for the Fund. There are important issues we have highlighted in the Report which Members should be aware of. The Bill, if passed, as proposed by the Senate, will be against Justice Makau’s ruling in Petition No. 252 of 2016 on 3rd December 2020. Secondly, the clauses that makes it an annual Bill shall be removed. This will enable the Bill to provide for disbursement of conditional grants to counties pursuant to Article 207 of the Constitution. We also observed that the Bill provides for the procedures for implementation, reporting and accountability of the funds, including the roles and responsibilities of various institutions. In conclusion, the Committee will be looking at various proposed amendments to the Bill, including proposed amendments to the title of the Bill, Clause 2, and the object of the Bill. We shall also propose deletion of various clauses in order to align the Bill with the Constitution. Therefore, in summary, this Bill is also going to help the National Treasury to facilitate agreements between county governments and Development Partners. This shall be tabled in Parliament before inclusion in the Budget Policy Statement (BPS). This position has been missing. If it can now be adopted as proposed in the Report to correct the Bill and align it with the Constitution and the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, then it is going to be a good thing and will enrich it for perpetuity. Finally, on the additional allocations with respect to loans and grants, the National Treasury shall include in the BPS the indicative amounts to county governments. As we do this, it is also important to inform the county governments that whereas this House appropriates funds to them, it is important as they also proceed to do their budgets in the various counties, they should allocate the same funds equitably; not necessarily to be equal but let them distribute the funds equitably 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."
}