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{
    "id": 1134107,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1134107/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 87,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to remind the distinguished Senator for Kirinyaga County that I am not ‘one’ Senator, I am ‘the’ Senator. I will give him a few tutorials on good English. I beg to second this Motion that has been ably moved by my Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Budget. The BPS is a fundamental constitutional requirement in law. The National Treasury must tell the country through Parliament its intention to roll out a budget. A budget that is realistic and one that helps this country to achieve its growth targets. Hon. Members must be very keen to ensure that the BPS that Parliament will eventually approve becomes the pillar from which budgets will grow. Any deviation and variation in substantial terms from the BPS becomes illegal and unconstitutional. It is a very important document that this House must be called upon to not only read and internalize, but to debate and approve from a point of reason not emotion. As a House that is obligated to protect county governments, their interests and governments, this BPS falls short of our expectations. The Cabinet Secretary tells the country that the economy has grown by an admirable figure of 9.2 per cent. This is the budget he is bringing indicating that we have a 9.2 per cent growth. However, this House must be invited to ask questions why where there is a 9.2 per cent growth, the allocation to counties remains static? The Kshs370 billion that we allocated in the ending financial year is what is being proposed again. In this regard, the Senate must take a very dim view of a body called Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) in which governors go sit, compromise the interests of their counties and the view of the Senate thou they do not bind us. However, at the end of the day it is very difficult for you to wail louder than the bereaved. The Controller of Budget (CoB) and his team and regrettably even the Commission on revenue Allocation (CRA) have been part of this connivance to go sit and agree that we have a 9.2 per cent growth which only benefits the national Government while the county governments remain where they were is not acceptable. I urge the Members of this House to defend the interests of the counties they represent, whether you are elected or nominated you are part of a delegation from your county to ensure that the interest of your county is not about which Senator was elected, but about you the Senator in this House that represents those interests. The Committee has recommended that we reject the figure of Kshs370 billion as my able Chairman has pointed out. We are recommending a figure that is commensurate with the growth that the National Treasury itself has told us."
}