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{
    "id": 1194316,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1194316/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 288,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ndhiwa, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Martin Owino",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This opportunity is much appreciated. Allow me to congratulate my colleagues, Hon. Gichimu and Hon. Mule who have brought about this legislative proposal. Hon. Temporary Speaker the bridge between the poor and the wealthy is education, and that is what is being attacked here because the driver is the NG-CDF. Many have talked about this but allow me to personalize the developments of the NG-CDF in my constituency. Since Independence, Ndhiwa Constituency had no institution of higher learning until my last term and now we have a KMTC with over 100 students. We have four ICT hubs giving the youth an opportunity to learn the digital economy courtesy of the NG-CDF. Every term we process close to 10,000 applications from poor families and, at the same time, giving 40 full bursaries to children so that they can go to school. At the moment, those children are at home. I would like to invite Members to consider that the poor children from vulnerable families are at home while others are learning; which will cause a disparity in performance when exams are taken. This is what we are emphasising here. I was able to build and renovate new classrooms and I have over 200 schools whereby a majority of those children therein have never seen concrete floors since Independence and were sitting on the ground. I have managed to cement and build so many schools. There were no laboratories, laboratory equipment and yet, those children compete with other children, including those at Alliance High School. Courtesy of NG-CDF, they can level up and compete like any other child. Since Independence, we have never had any Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office. Chiefs used to have barazas under trees and go for nature calls in bushes. Right now, most of them are housed and have decent sanitary blocks. There is nothing like emergency fund from county and national governments. All stormed houses or fire emergencies are catered for by NG-CDF. Whoever is trying to belittle this Fund is destroying vulnerable families in our constituencies. They say this Fund was for Members of Parliament, but why are children at home? Why can they not respond to their misfortune and pay their schools fees? That is a good sign that this is community-loved Fund that should not be interfered with. There is another element that the National Treasury should take seriously. There are projects that stalled because funds were delayed. Because of overrun expenses, it will be more expensive to redo them. It is like the Government is shooting itself on the foot. It is an oxymoron if we in the House have power but continue to beg for money to be released. If they do not release this money next month, we have the authority not to pass any budget. Let us not pass it, not even a supplementary budget. We have the power and authority, but we keep begging those people. Let us say no. Let us put our feet down so that we secure people’s rights. We are fighting for the people we represent and we have to stand firm. As the Member for Bonchari has said, 5 per cent of shared revenue is so little. Let us work out the percentage based on GDP or total revenue. Remember most of the money remains at the national level. Education is not devolved yet we do not see the impact of what the national government does on the ground. If this legislative proposal is passed, we will have pushed a chunk of resources to communities. Finally, NGAAF should be anchored in law. In Homa Bay, Hon. Wanga constructed many markets and helped women with training. NGAAF is very important and should be anchored in law. As for oversight, there is nothing like Senate oversight in the Constitution; it is parliamentary oversight. We undertake oversight but we are not funded. Most of us use our own money to see to it that things are done correctly. If we have to have an oversight fund, let it be a parliamentary fund. All of us, including Senators, are Members of Parliament. The omnibus approach is not going to help us. Let us separate these legislative proposals so that each can be considered in its own merit. Let each Bill take its course so that 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."
}