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{
    "id": 1195982,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1195982/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 485,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "We thought that we would establish a select Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation, that would consider all those reports coming from the various counties and then make actionable recommendations. For instance, you have gone to your county and found that the County Government was supposed to set up a feed processing plant and money has been paid, but the plant is not in place. As a Senator, you have done your assessment and written that report. That report ought to come back to the Senate for the Senate pronounce itself on it and make recommendations to the necessary agencies to take action. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I pray that in this short break and even as we retreat in Mombasa County, there will be an element or some time given, to see how we can actualise this Monitoring and Evaluation Fund. The biggest problem has been lack of goodwill from the Presidency and the President was on record when he came to Parliament. Let us not allow that window of goodwill to close before we move in and actualise this Fund. When Members of the National Assembly go on recess, they will be busy issuing bursary cheques, handing over buses and classrooms. What does the Senator go to the village to do? Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale went to visit a hospital in his county, but he probably could not offer anything tangible. All he could do was promise to articulate their plight on the Floor of the Senate. We have been very clear that we, Senators, do not want money for doing projects because it is a poisoned chalice. We want money to be able to oversee and ensure that the Kshs370 billion that we send to counties, is being put to proper and effective use. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I pray that when we come back on 8th November, 2022 this matter will have been discussed. I hope that it will be possible for us to propose a select Committee that will advance this agenda, taking into account and taking advantage of the goodwill of the Presidency. I also pray that we shall bring back the Implementation Committee of the Senate. This Committee was there in the First Senate then it disappeared in the last Senate. The argument was that every Committee should follow up the implementation of its recommendations. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that has not worked. As a result, you have recommendations on Motions that have been brought to this House, adopted by the House and nobody follows them up. Recommendations come from various Committees and some are cross-cutting. However, one Committee cannot follow them up to the end. That is why we had a dedicated Implementation Committee. I would love us to debate on this when we take our break. I would also like us to look at the merits and demerits of the Implementation Committee. Kenyans are asking why after 10 years of devolution, there is still theft, stalled projects and pending bills in counties. The Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) has shut down with billions of pending bills and yet this House has been sending money to Nairobi City County every year. It is because we make lofty statements and hard-hitting recommendations on the Floor of this House but no one follows them up."
}