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{
    "id": 1186076,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1186076/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 321,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Why cannot they not give county governments their own money in order for them to decide what to do with it? For those who are listening to this debate, the Senate is saying we raise this money from 26 percent to 50 percent. Let us not have Kshs370 billion. This County Government Additional Allocation Bill is demonstrating that the national Government is remaining with more money, and they know it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, it is wrong. The previous Senators have said that county governments are being forced to lease medical equipment but they never participated in the tendering and they do not know the suppliers. Moreover, they are given money to pay back to the same people, who negotiated with the national Government. It is an injustice and it is wrong. It is a disrespect to the second level of government. As provided for by the Constitution, the people of Kenya want two levels of government and the two levels of government must respect each other. The Senate must put its foot down and ensure that contracts for health functions are not decided by the national Government. It does not make any sense. We many not need some of the equipment we are being forced to lease; for example, in Tana River County Hospital, in Hola. They may force us, because of this arrangement, to take those machines but we do not have trained staff to operate the machines being taken to our county hospitals. Those machines are leased by some companies which are of dubious character. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if one screw of those machines breaks down, we are not able to repair. We do not even have contacts of suppliers or at times when contacted, they do not respond. All they know is that money is given to county governments and it is deducted at the source. They are playing with our minds. We are leasing medical equipment and under it, we can see that we are receiving millions of shillings but that money is deducted at the source. People are disrespecting counties. I urge the new administration; the President and his Cabinet Secretary in charge of the National Treasury, Prof. Ndung’u, to get away from the old habits of the previous administration. We must cut links with this kind of behaviour, where they decide for us what we should be leasing at the county level. I hope they are listening. As defenders of counties, we are not happy. We are given equipment that we cannot operate nor service and we also do not have trained personnel to run them but money is deducted. It is indicated here that Tana River County has received millions of shillings, which they never saw because it was deducted at source. The new administration must properly devolve the functions, like they promised the people of Kenya. Let us respect county governments. Let us give them the requisite money, for service delivery to the people of Kenya. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the County Government Additional Allocation Bill (No.2) of 2022, has various development partners. I can see the European Union (EU) is giving us conditional grants on devolution advice and support. The German Development Bank is giving us conditional grants for droughts. The World Bank is giving us grants for emergency locust response. There are many other grants. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, devolution has been with us for over eight years. However, development partners have not been very committed to discuss matters directly"
}