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{
"id": 1225980,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1225980/?format=api",
"text_counter": 166,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kiharu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ndindi Nyoro",
"speaker": null,
"content": "9 of 2023. I first of all want to thank the Members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) for the good job that they have done in the recent past. This is especially in making sure that we take our primary role, as a House for budget-making, with the decorum that it deserves. The Members have also been very dedicated because as you are aware, it is a very intense process. Further, following the disruption of the Calendar of the House from last year because of the elections, we have had to consider three very critical areas of budget-making within a short time. Within last month, we were able to pass the Supplementary Estimates and last week, we were able to consider the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and since then, we have been considering the Division of Revenue Bill. Just to bring the Members to speed, and because I want to take very little time, when we talk about the Division of Revenue Bill, what is it about? This is the Bill that allocates money vertically in as far as the national Government and the county governments are concerned. This Bill considers a block figure because there is a County Allocation of Revenue Bill that considers horizontal allocation. Therefore, I would want Members to get the difference. This should also be taken in with regard to the other jargons that we talk about here in Parliament. I want to briefly update Members that, substantially, the budget-making process starts in November of the previous year. In this current situation, budget- making started in October/November last year through sector working groups. This is where different departments come together to form clusters of sectors and then they work on their budget backwards. After that is considered, we do what we were doing here last week and what Departmental Committees have been doing for the last two or three weeks: considering ceilings of our Budget. They consider departmental and sectoral ceilings with regard to budget-making. In other words, it is the BPS process which basically sets the ceilings of the sectors and departments. After that, we move to what we call the Estimates. After we are done with the BPS, we move to consider the Budget. These are the Estimates and after we have allocated block figures and the ceilings, we cascade further. For instance, after allocating the Department of Forestry this amount of money, it is now the annual Estimates that go into specific projects. That is in line with the main budget. After 2010, we now have two levels of government to consider. We consider them right from the inception of budget-making. But it starts to take shape, and especially as far as this House is concerned, through the process that we are considering today. In today’s Motion, we are debating the vertical allocation of the monies that we remit to our counties equivalent to a kind of BPS that only touches on the counties. After we do the block figure, it is the business of counties to do their own budget lines. It is the prerogative of this House, in conjunction with the Senate, to allocate this block figure that I am going to give. It is to the tune of Ksh385 billion to specific counties - that is the 47 counties. The way we do it is not the way we have been dealing, for example, with the NG-CDF, where we take the figure and divide equally. Here is where we have the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) coming in, which takes the block figure, applies a formula in a calculator, and then calculates what each county, from County 001 to County 047, will get. That will be our next business, which is called the County Allocation of Revenue Bill. I thought it is good that I demystify these jargons so that we can handle this matter objectively. Therefore, just to repeat the reason why the Division of Revenue Bill is so brief, it is because it considers a block figure. The specifics in terms of what each county gets is on a different Bill, which is the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, which this House in conjunction with Senate will be considering. Devolution has a monetary side and, that is why the National Assembly is very integral. But on the other side, when we are discussing county matters, then the Senate is also pivotal. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}