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{
    "id": 1216854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1216854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 135,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Central Imenti, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Moses Kirima",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, if we look at the provision of food in some parts of Kenya, especially the drought-hit areas, we notice that people have no money at all even to buy food for the day. I support this Supplementary Budget because some money has been set aside to cater for the drought-hit areas. By doing that, the Committee has considered the welfare of Kenyans who are exposed and who need to live. However, this will not be enough if we do it as it has been done before. This is just a temporary measure. We need to find a lasting solution to tackle drought if it occurs again. Just the other day, I read in the newspaper that some countries like Pakistan frequently experience drought, but they have never suffered from food shortage as it is in Kenya. What can we do? We can do this through remedies like instituting irrigation methods which are adequate enough to produce enough food. That should be catered for because having a short- term remedy, as in this Supplementary Budget just to provide money for buying food for immediate needs, is not adequate. That notwithstanding, when it comes to Article 123 of the Constitution, it is open to abuse. No one can say that one can withstand the power of the Executive when it comes to push and pull. We may have the Principal Secretary for National Treasury and the Controller of Budget who control the funds, but the Constitution is very elaborate that the Executive is allowed to use money to a certain extent without coming to Parliament, and then come to Parliament to explain how they used the money; for instance, about 10 per cent of the requirement to a certain level and request us to ratify the spending. However, looking at the Head of the Executive, especially the Chief Executive of the country and the kind of influence they have on the people they appoint, like the Principal Secretaries or the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, if they call the Cabinet Secretary and ask for something to be done, then no Cabinet Secretary can refuse to do so, and this is abuse of office. We need to put in place strict measures to ensure Article 223 of the Constitution is not abused now or in future."
}