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{
"id": 1219910,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1219910/?format=api",
"text_counter": 261,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mathira, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Eric Kahugu",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I rise to support the proposals brought forth by His Excellency the President to amend the Constitution. First, I support the anchoring of the NG-CDF in the Constitution. If you go around the constituencies, the projects that are most visible are projects done by the NG-CDF. The reason is that most of the funds that are available for the NG-CDF are used for development and very little is used for recurrent expenditure. I support it be anchored in the Constitution. We will avoid the issue of people waking up in the morning to go to court to derail us and saying that the NG-CDF is not constitutional. We will avoid delays such as the one we are experiencing today. Second, I support the issue of Cabinet Secretaries coming to the Floor of the House to answer Questions. For example, a Member may ask a Question that I have an interest in and if the Cabinet Secretary appears before the relevant committee, I will not have the opportunity to listen to him answering that Question. So, I support that proposal so that if it is a Question that I am interested in, I will listen to the answer that will be given by the Cabinet Secretary. Third, I support the issue of creating the Office of the Leader of Official Opposition. The noise we are experiencing in this town… If the leader of the opposition had an office, he would use that office to address the media and make all the noise that he wants to make as opposed to what we are seeing him do. He is making noise in town and disturbing the peace experienced by Kenyans. So, I support that we create the Office of the Leader of Official Opposition so that the leader and the likes of Jeremiah Kioni can carry all the sufurias they want and beat them in that office. Lastly, as I support these proposals, I want to add another proposal. Because we are speaking of amending the Constitution, I propose that we bring in one-man, one-vote, one- shilling formula for revenue sharing. It cannot be that a person who is representing 120,000 voters is receiving the same resources as a person representing 5,000 voters. Now that we are in the mood of amending the Constitution, let us do it wholesale rather than doing it in parts. My proposal of amending the Constitution to have one-man, one-vote, one-shilling formula for revenue sharing must come together with the proposals of the President. There are people who are being treated unfairly. You are representing 200,000 people or are elected by 100,000 voters but the resources you are receiving through the NG-CDF are equal to the resources a person who is elected by 5,000 voters is receiving. That is not fair and it is not equality. Now that we are in the mood of discussing how to amend the Constitution, I will be bringing forth that proposal. Let us include the one-man, one-vote, one-shilling formula for revenue sharing in the proposals so that we do not come back to amend the Constitution to include it. If we are proposing to amend the Constitution to have the Office of the Leader of Official Opposition, the NG-CDF and the NGAAF in the Constitution, and to allow Cabinet Secretaries to come on the Floor of this House to answer Questions, let us also include the proposal of one-man, one-vote, one-shilling formula for revenue sharing so that Kenyans can feel they are well represented. It cannot be that a Member of Parliament representing 150,000 voters is receiving the same resources as a Member of Parliament representing 5,000 voters. I support, thank you."
}