Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1161476,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1161476/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 72,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I rise to second this Bill. As already been set out clearly, in the speech by the Senate Majority Leader, this is a very important Bill that is predicated in Article 218 of the Constitution. However, more importantly, whenever this Bill comes for consideration in the Senate, it is the Bill that all Senators should scrutinize and ensure that the counties are getting their fair equitable share from the revenue collected by the Government in any financial year. That is for the purposes of meeting one of the most important obligations of the Constitution in regards to the principles and objectives of devolution. In my estimation and considered opinion, one of the most important features of our Constitution that departed from the old Constitution, apart from the Bill of Rights and the code on leadership and integrity, the chapter dealing with devolution is probably the single most important innovation in our Constitution. Devolution would not mean much or may not be consequential if the counties were not to get their fair share of revenue as stipulated by the Constitution. Although on the face of it, this Bill seems to abide by the constitutional requirements, but in my view, counties are still not getting quite what they deserve. This is partly because of the constitutional arrangement that makes it possible for the national Government to remit less to counties on the basis of the last audited accounts as required under the Constitution or simply on the basis of other national considerations that takes precedence over the sharable revenue. One of them is the issue of debt. As long as the national Government has a huge debt portfolio, the counties will not get their fair share in terms of resources which are collected by the national Government. We know that the Government does not get into debt for no good reason. It gets into debt because there is need, for instance, if there are financial shortfalls, major capital works or needs that require financial allocations. If the debt burden is huge, it means there is less money to go around to the counties."
}