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{
    "id": 1156638,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1156638/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Likuyani, FORD-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 294,
        "legal_name": "Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
        "slug": "enoch-kibunguchy"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Before I support the amendment, I would like to join you and the rest of the people who have compared the work that has been done by the NG-CDF with the county governments. Sometimes in my fantasies, I fantasise – for example, Kakamega County which is given approximately Kshs12 billion each year and it has 12 constituencies. Each constituency has been given Kshs1 billion. Looking at the rough figures that go towards many of the things that are done in this country, like tarmacking roads and the low seal volume technique, I think a lot would have been done. I agree with you when you said that probably the NG-CDF is the best form of devolution. I wish that as we go forward, we think through how we cannot give county governments blank checks, so to speak, and try to put them in a strait jacket so that they have parameters within which they operate. The way things are, county governments operate like they are a law unto themselves. I want to commend you on what you have said, and agree with you 100 per cent that we would have done more if this kind of money had been channelled through the NG- CDF. On the amendment Bill by my friend, Hon. Gikaria, I agree with him 100 per cent. Like all my colleagues have said, it is a simple amendment, but it has very deep ramifications. It will make a lot of difference as we go forward. I have seen groups, especially in my constituency of Likuyani that are given projects, but because of just one requirement of having a certificate from the NCA, they do not move forward. So, if we will be able to open this door and make it easier for groups, especially the affirmative action groups of women, youth and PWDs, it will be a wonderful way of getting those people to have a start. They can move forward on their own from there. If we are not able to get most of the money that comes through the NG-CDF, we would like, as a Parliament – because this Bill has originated from the Senate – to establish a ward development fund. As you may have realised, most of the basic functions of county governments are functions that touch on the mwananchi directly. They are functions that the mwananchi will feel. Those are functions like availability of water and hospitals. Most people who have problems accessing hospitals are small children. Issues like nursery schools, small markets, small business people and people doing small businesses are all under county governments. What am I driving at? If we have a ward development fund at the ward level – I know some counties have established this, but others have not because of the excuse that it is not in law. We will be able to deal with these basic problems at the grassroots level; like the establishment of dispensaries and water points where women can get water easily. I am thinking about revamping and putting together springs. In my constituency, we have so many springs. This is something that is very useful. I keep telling people who want piped water that as much as it is nice to have piped water, it comes with a cost. 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."
}