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{
    "id": 1169267,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1169267/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 258,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, the Committee also observed that various financial laws were flouted. This is very serious. Financial laws are there to guide the executives in the manner in which they use the money. I candidly tell the executives that when this Committee goes to the counties to do an investigatory search, it is not that they are after county governments. They are just helping county executives to use the money wisely and ensure service delivery in the counties. The Senate allocates money to counties but it does not have an oversight fund. This means that Senators cannot individually go to counties to do an oversight of the projects that are taking place there. This is done by this Committee. Madam Temporary Speaker, I hope that there will be an oversight kitty for Senators in the next Government. This will enable Senators to traverse their counties and investigate whether money that is sent to counties is being used the way it is supposed to. Otherwise, as things stand right now, the Senate has no way of knowing if counties are using the money sent to them in a proper manner. Money should follow functions. Grants come from different donors and this money goes a long way to bridge budgetary gaps in counties. Grants are welcome because the money that is sent to counties is not enough yet there are some begging issues. Madam Temporary Speaker, if in the next Senate this Committee continues going to counties to do audit investigations, then pending bills will be a thing of the past. Pending bills are there simply because some governors do not use money prudently or they treat the money as their pocket money or family money and they do not do what is supposed to be done. Public money should be used for service to the public. That is why this Committee has an important mandate. The audit reports are important. When you look at the Constitution, the Auditor-General has a big role and he or she is appointed to office. The Office of the Auditor-General is a constitutional office and it is mandatory. We have this Office so that he or she can be hawk-eyed when it comes to public funds. Public funds should benefit the public. In many counties, you will not find basic rights that are enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution. In some counties, hospitals are dilapidated while some have no medicine. In other hospitals, staff are demotivated and yet the Senate allocates a good amount of money to counties. I applaud the work of this Committee. I hope that the next Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments will pick up from where the current Committee will stop and ensure service delivery to the public and that money follows functions in counties. I support this Report."
}