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{
    "id": 1134393,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1134393/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 199,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kavindu Muthama",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I want to comment on a few items. One is the allocation of funds to the counties. I fully support the proposal for counties to get Kshs496 billion. I thank the Committee because if this comes to pass, then Machakos County will get some good money. I want to speak about pending bills that are in almost all the counties in the country. I urge the Committee and the National Treasury to put in place a mechanism that every incoming governor must deal with pending bills that have been left by the outgoing governor. I am saying this because in Machakos County, for example, there are many people who have died because of not being paid after working or supplying to the county. Many are languishing in poverty while others have been auctioned. Therefore, something should be done before the outgoing governors leave the counties. They must make sure that they pay the pending bills. I know they always budget for what they want to do for their counties. I wonder why they do not pay the people they owe money after they finish their work. Madam Deputy Speaker, two, I want to speak about workers of the counties who have not been paid. For example, in Machakos County, workers have gone without pay for almost two years. We have complaints from doctors and cleaners yet this money is there and has been budgeted for. Therefore, I urge the National Treasury to release money to the counties in good time so that they can prepare for what they want to do in good time. Madam Deputy Speaker, on issues of agriculture, this country is fertile. If farmers can be fully supported by the national and county governments, I am sure Kenya can become food sufficient. Therefore, money should go to the agricultural sector. On the issue of medical equipment, we have many that are lying idle in our hospitals. They were bought, but they were not used. Many of them, for example, x-rays and others for testing malaria and other diseases are not working and are never repaired. Patients go to public hospitals, but are sent to private hospitals for medical check-ups and they end up paying a lot of money especially during this time when there is Covid-19 and scarcity of funds. Our people are suffering. I hope this can be checked and followed. You will find that patients are prescribed medication, but they end up buying it outside yet they are poor and have no money. Some of them are elderly while others are orphans and do not have an income. Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to speak about the stalled projects. In my County of Machakos, we have many stalled projects, which were started and were never completed. I believe that this is not only happening in Machakos County, but in all other counties. I wish a law can be put in place to state that any project that was started by governors must be completed before they move to other projects. For example, projects like those of dams and boreholes should be done on time. There are many of them which were done in Machakos County and they are not working. Madam Deputy Speaker, I also want to talk about the development budget especially for Vision 2030 by the national Government. I hope that enough money is"
}