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{
    "id": 1193467,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1193467/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 192,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilome, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Thuddeus Nzambia",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Four and are joining colleges and universities with better grades. This has been facilitated by the NG-CDF. We have built so many primary and secondary schools in my constituency. There are so many rehabilitated classrooms especially in primary schools as we have modernised them. Anyone who is in denial about the NG-CDF is an enemy of the people in this Republic. Entrenching the NG-CDF, the NG-AAF, the Senate Oversight Fund and the Economic Stimulus and Empowerment Fund in the Constitution shall ensure that such funds are reinforced to avoid existing threats. Hon. Temporary Speaker, such funds are enforced and permanently entrenched in the Constitution to avoid incidental threats from developing legislations and court decisions which for years have sought to invalidate the existence of these funds. This is the highest time that the 13th Parliament needs to be firm on this exercise. The introduction of this Senate Oversight Fund shall strengthen the operations of the devolved funds in a manner that is strictly in compliance with the law to reduce pilferages. The Fund will enable the Senate to ensure that counties perform their functions without the earlier experience and delays so that Kenyans can benefit on time. If you go around all the constituencies, you will realise that the only physical developments and infrastructure is by the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). Counties have been getting billions of money but if you compare with the little we have been getting from the NG-CDF, the development is immeasurable. Despite trying to entrench this Fund into the current Constitution, there is need to increase these funds from the current 2.5 per cent to at least 5 per cent. I can confirm that if these funds are increased from the current percentage, you will find that all the countries will come to bench mark with us. I challenge the counties to make sure that they reduce their wage bills and at the same time increase the number of projects they can manage. I would like to add that if you compare the number of staff at the constituency level, most constituencies have less than 10 staff who execute and manage to protect this Fund and ensure that whatever is being done for the people reaches the constituency level. More importantly, my ambition is that the Economic Stimulus and Empowerment Fund will be key as it shall align with the current Government so that the Wanjikus can access the funds. We need to review the Fund because it will be a duplication of the Uwezo Fund. We need to look into it so that we do not duplicate the funds. Hon. Temporary Speaker, inclusion of these funds in the Constitution, more so the NG- CDF, shall ensure all ongoing projects are concluded for the benefit of constituents. It will ensure that we do not have ghost projects at the expense of tax payers and at the inconvenience of the actual beneficiaries of such projects. There are some constituencies which have major projects costing over Ksh20 million which are done in several phases. A phase can be done for about Ksh5 million each and you will find that if the funds do not trickle down to the constituencies, these projects might turn out to be white elephants. The NG-CDF remains one of the most closely monitored funds and its utilization has met the expectations of Kenyans. Reports from the office of the Auditor-General have attested that there have been minimal cases of mismanagement due to its utilization criteria and mandatory approvals before, during and after undertaking the projects. At the constituency level, as we speak, some students are still at home, the reason being we have very many needy students whose parents cannot afford their school fees. Equally, we have others who are orphans and bright but needy. Nobody should make a mistake of withdrawing these funds. It is prudent to note that the funds have trickled down to the very last resident of respective constituencies since the choice of projects is done on a need basis after detailed assessments by the NG-CDF committees. We do a lot of public participation so that constituents are satisfied with the projects which they are really in need of. Hon. Temporary Speaker, as I conclude, I would urge Members of this House to move with speed and entrench this Fund in the Constitution so that no busy bodies can just wake up The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}