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{
    "id": 1176562,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1176562/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 393,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13591,
        "legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
        "slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
    },
    "content": "instance, was at the range of Kshs35 million and above, if you apply the percentage that is allowed in the law. This has caused a lot of suffering especially in the pastoral areas where the livelihood of our people to pay fees and have food is dependent on livestock. Now, they have all gone because of the drought. There is no hope and other means to educate their children. The bursary through the NG-CDF was a really a key source of school fees. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is a serious justification to really ensure that NG-CDF continues to be applied not to mention this Houses. We are given power under the Constitution to oversight together with the County Assemblies on the expenditure of the resources allocated to the county governments. However, we have no means of being able to do so. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, some counties like the one I come from or even where you come from, Kitui and many other counties, are so far. We are unable to execute our function under the Constitution of oversighting the usage and application of the resources that are given to the county governments. There are other specialized funds such as the one for the women representatives and so on. All these in totality go a long way in improving the wellbeing of our people and enabling us to follow as Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale said. This is so that we are able to execute our function in oversighting. I am happy also the way this Motion is drafted because it will not be the views of the few Senators forming this Committee. We are receiving views to invite, engage and consider submissions from stakeholders, relevant constitutional statutory bodies like the Kenya Law Reform Commission and the Attorney General (AG) who has given directions on release of Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). The Committee would like to hear from the AG himself on the legal foundation and why he allowed that. It means that he did his work well and advised Treasury to release the money. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is the fulfilment of Article 118 of the Constitution. Public participation is not optional. We have to allow Kenyans, stakeholders and interested parties to come before this Committee and give their views. The Membership of this Senate Committee has Senators with legal background. We also have Sen. Okiya Omtatah who has been instrumental in filing petitions on public interest. I am happy he is a Member of this Committee. Most of those Members will definitely add value to the Committee as we go to speak to our people. Over the years, we have had a bit of conflict between the two Houses. We would say that we are the ‘upper house’ and the other House would say that we are not. There has been that confusion. Seeing the establishment of an ad hoc Committee today from the two Houses sets the right standard. From now henceforth, we should not look at each other as different Houses and with suspicion but we should realize that we have equal mandate to serve our people in both Houses under Article 95 and 96 of the Constitution."
}