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{
    "id": 1186012,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1186012/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "If you go to many of the towns, some of these conditional grants are under Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) projects and Kenya Urban Support Program. It is vision for simple projects such as repairing town roads and ensuring that our towns are well maintained. In many of our towns, especially those outside of Nairobi City County, you will find many roads are dilapidated especially those maintained by the county governments. I have seen the same problem even in Nairobi City County. The county governments are held back because they are unable to access these funds. There is good justification why we need to process this Bill. I appreciate the struggle that has gone there. For me, over and above the Kshs700 million that Kericho County is going to get, is the fact that Senate stood firm. If you read the report of the Committee of Finance and Budget, all through since 2015 when we did the first Conditional Grant up to 2021, we kept making a resolution as a Committee that National Treasury needs to provide a formula upon which they decide on the Conditional and Unconditional Grants to each of the counties. We spoke and made noise about it until finally, the courts came to our rescue as a Senate and insisted on no more release of this fund. Despite the fact that there has been delay for two years and counties have not been able to access these funds, it is for a good reason. Over 40 counties would never have accessed this money if it would have been left to be donated like cookies by the National Treasury. Today, if you like a certain county government, you give them, if they did not vote for you, you deny them. That is what was happening. However, because of this law and the Senate standing firm through its Committee on Finance and Budget, all the 47 County Governments are assured of an equal distribution of conditional and unconditional Grants. That is the genius in this Bill. It is also the spirit and the principle that I celebrate as we pass this particular Bill. I know colleague Senators have a lot to say and would wish to say much on this Bill. I therefore rest my case at that point and celebrate the Committee on Finance and Budget for a work well done."
}