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{
    "id": 1215497,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1215497/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 306,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ali Roba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "proposes an allocation of Kshs385.4 billion to counties. That amount has increased by about Kshs15 billion from the Kshs370 billion that the counties received in the preceding financial year. This is due to adjustment of revenue growth. An allocation of Kshs425 million is given towards transfer of library functions to counties. It is indicated that the proposed equitable share allocation is 24.5 per cent of the last audited accounts of Kshs1.573 billion for the Financial Year 2019/2020 and 15 per cent of projected revenue in the Financial Year 2023/2024. To justify the proposed county equitable share allocation, the National Treasury argues that the national Government continues to experience a high level of debt in the context of limited avenues to finance the budget gap. There are increased Government expenditures that relates to drought intervention, fertilizer subsidy and the Hustlers Fund, among others, that were cited by the National Treasury as reasons why the county governments could not be allocated more money. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is proposed that county governments will receive additional allocations amounting to Kshs44.3 billion in the Financial Year 2023/2024. This comprises of Kshs11.1 billion from the national Government’s share of revenue and Kshs33.19 billion from proceeds of external loans and grants. The conditional grants from the national Government’s share of revenue are towards- (1) Leasing of medical equipment allocated Kshs5.86 billion; (2) Operationalisation of the national Government’s programme on aggregated industrial parks allocated Kshs4.7 billion; and (3) Supplement for construction of county headquarters for five counties allocated Kshs454 million. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important to note that there is also an unconditional allocation of Kshs108.7 million as remittances from court fines generated from enforcement of county legislation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee considered the 2023 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and made several observations, among them- It is critical for the Senate to know; a) The national Government commit to ensure that there is a complete transfer of county functions within six months as per the directives by the President when he addressed the Parliament. However, it has not provided a comprehensive list of county functions that are still being performed by the national Government and how those functions can be transferred and funds follow the functions. b) The proposed equitable share allocation to county governments is based on the last audited accounts of 2019/2020 is not what was captured in the BPS of Kshs1.5 trillion but rather Kshs1.730 trillion. That means that there is an error in terms of how the figures have been computed. The BPS based its entire planning on Kshs1.573 billion as the last audited and approved by National Assembly whereas the figures of the Financial Year 2019/2020 accurately stands at Kshs1.730 trillion."
}