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{
    "id": 1194569,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1194569/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 123,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Nebart Muriuki (",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mbeere South, Independent): Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I join other Members in congratulating the two Members who have brought the proposal to have the NG-CDF anchored in the Constitution. As it has been said, the NG-CDF is the only visible fund in our constituencies. Other government departments have responsibilities and they are allocated funds, but their impact is not visible. For example, if we talk of health, there is always an outcry over hospitals having no medicine. Sick people who cannot afford medicine end up at the Member of Parliament’s house or office to seek support. We know that all deaths and other natural disasters end up at the member’s house, yet there is a disaster fund. What am I trying to say? Members of the public are not aware of the other funds which are supposed to help them, and the only thing they know is the NG-CDF. Everything affecting poor citizens is channelled to the Member of Parliament for support, irrespective of whether it is a national Government or county government responsibility. I support the broadening of the scope of the NG-CDF to enable Members to effectively cater for their constituents who voted for them. It has been said that water is a major issue. Most of us from the ASAL areas end up spending our own money to support schools with clean water. If water supply was covered by the NG-CDF, it would be easy to provide water to schools and to communities. Other government departments which get their funding also resort to the NG-CDF for support. For example, there are several cases where government administrators have approached the NG-CDF to ask for money to purchase land to put up government structures. That means that this Fund is recognised not just by the citizens that we represent, but also by other government departments. They recognise it as a Fund being utilised properly to support every sector. It has been proposed, and I second, that this Bill should not be bundled with others. Let it stay on its own. We need to have the NG-CDF Bill on its own and other funds on their own Bill because the Fund has been tested and its impact has been seen in the country. On increasing its allocation to 5 per cent, I propose that it is increased higher. Like I said, there is a disaster fund, but it does not cover us well even at this time when we are experiencing drought. If the disaster fund is included in the NG-CDF, every constituency will cater for whatever disaster facing it. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity."
}