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{
    "id": 1184496,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1184496/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 105,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "(3) The Narok Water and Sewerage Services Company which is supposed to appear before us on 6th December, 2022. (4) Kisumu County Car and Mortgage Scheme. (5) Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company who are scheduled to appear before us on 7th December. Mr. Speaker, Sir, however, the County Government of Nyeri has since sought a clarification from the Committee on the concept of the two-tier oversight system where the county assembly has the first-tier oversight role whereas the Senate has the final tier oversight role in line with the Supreme Court ruling. The Committee is presently considering the matter. We have just met the team from Nyeri County. The Committee has also considered the matter of the regional economic blocs and established that they form a significant part of county investments and thus falls within their oversight role. I wish Hon. Members would pay keen interest to this. The Committee observed that county governments in geographical proximity to each other have pooled together to establish county regional blocs. The Committee further observed that some counties belonged to more than one bloc whereas others belonged to none. The Committee resolved to consider the matter of blocs and wrote to the Council of Governors (CoGs) on the following - (1) The number of established economic blocs, their membership, legal status and the policy framework behind the establishment. (2) The functions of the regional blocs, their sources of funding and projects undertaken by each bloc. (3) The list of projects initiated by the regional economic blocs, their status and the amount of funds allocated to each project. The CoG responded and submitted that - (1) There are seven established regional blocs with fully fledged secretariat. (2) There are insufficient legal and policy frameworks to promote regional economic integration between county governments. (3) A draft national policy on the establishment of the regional economic blocs by county governments was awaiting Cabinet approval. (4) Some counties such as Tana River, Lamu, Trans Nzoia and Turkana were members of more than one bloc while Nairobi County was not a member of any bloc. Mr. Speaker, Sir, further, the Committee observed that the regional blocs were receiving funds from member counties and donor partners but were not being audited by the Office of the Auditor-General, yet there existed no other available alternative for their oversight. This has resulted in the regional economic blocs operating without checks and balances. The Committee resolved to write to the respective chief executive officers of the regional economic blocs seeking clarification on the following- (1) When each bloc was formed. (2) The status of approval of the county assembly of the respective counties forming and joining the regional economic blocs."
}