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{
    "id": 1227583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1227583/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13591,
        "legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
        "slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
    },
    "content": "achievements and the challenges that this House has faced in the ten years. I served in the National Assembly for 15 years. In the last, ten years, that was the time when this House was established under the new Constitution. At that time, I used to understand this House differently. In the sense that even when there was the need to facilitate and provide funds for this House for Senators to perform their functions, I was one of the Members of the National Assembly who opposed it. I have said this before. I remember when the regulations came before the House, I was the Chairperson of the Committee on Delegated Legislation at that time. We never saw the need, including myself as the Chairperson, of that Committee, at that time. Now being in this House, as it has already been said by the Senate Majority Leader one of the challenges we face is the lack of resources. Hon. Senators are not facilitated to perform the functions. There will be a kamukunji after this sitting to discuss, as a House, how best we can deal with that situation. Unless and until this House is enabled to perform its functions--- You will allow me to refer to when I was a Member of Parliament (MP). I want to draw a comparison between what happened in that situation and now. The amount available for an MP to manage a constituency is the same amount availed to a Senator to manage, for example, Nairobi City County with 17 constituencies. In Baringo, I manage six constituencies using the same resources I used to manage one constituency. That is a challenge. As we appreciate the challenges which this House has gone through and the successes it has been able to achieve, that is an area we need to look into. Ten years have gone and devolution as envisaged initially was so that we take more resources down to the people. Today, we are at Kshs395 billion, if I am not wrong, in this coming budget from what we know. I still believe, for example, Baringo County with its challenges of 65 per cent arid and semi-arid lands receives only about Kshs6.5 billion is unable to achieve, perform and deal with matters facing our people. So, this House, as we listen and appreciate the successes the Senate has had over the years, it is time for us, as a House, to stand firm, claim our space and continue to use the existing current understanding between the two Houses. I believe that there is some element of understanding so that we reduce the tension that has existed before between the two Houses."
}