Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 122848,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/122848/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 329,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "billion in profits every year. It also pretends to pay bonuses to its staff and yet it does not make that profit. That is just money transferred from the Kenyan public to the CBK. That loan should be written-off. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to talk about some amount that appears on page 1022 of the Recurrent Expenditure Vote on the National Assembly Vote, Head 881 – Legislative Activities, Item 2640500. This is money that appears as other capital grants and transfers. This is an allocation of Kshs166 million. If you look at the last year’s Budget, you will find that it was Kshs49 million but it has now increased to Kshs166 million. Why is this so? You will also realise that Parliament had asked for only Kshs66 million but was allocated Kshs100 million more. If you seek for an explanation, you will find that this money is supposed to be paid to nominated Members of Parliament. I have an issue with that because most of these Members are my friends. What is the rationale for making this allocation? Where is the law? I am told that there is a legal framework which is being developed. But why was the issue not brought before the House before the money was provided for in the Budget? I am told that this allocation has not been dropped although I can hear some Members murmuring that it has been dropped. If you look at the Bill, you will find that it is still intact. However, I have been told that there are some consultations and the money will be spent by the National Assembly to get offices for nominated Members of Parliament because the offices they are using have been donated to them by other hon. Members who are in the Cabinet. I would like to get an assurance from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance that, that is what will happen. Or are we, as a House, agreeing to give the money to nominated hon. Members? If that is the thinking of the House, I have no problem. However, if you seek for my opinion, that is money that should not have been provided for in the first place. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, Mr. Mungatana has praised the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for doing a good job but I think we are probably setting a low target. I cannot understand how the KRA hits or passes the target every year. Either we are setting unrealistic target, which is below what we can achieve or we need to think again. I do not think it is realistic for the KRA to consistently hit the target. That is not practical. Again, if you look at the Treasury figures and those from the KRA, you will find that there is a mismatch. So, who is right? I am told that they are supposed to reconcile the figures. The reconciliation should be done consistently so that we know that whatever is being reported by the KRA is also what is being captured by the Treasury. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, my final remark is about what Mr. Mungatana has talked about. That is money for Agenda 4 and where it is. He has said that it is not under the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs. That is true but when the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance read out the Budget, he said that some of the money that is in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance is meant for that purpose. Is that amount enough to carry out a referendum and registration of voters? This is because 208 constituencies do not have registered voters. Only two constituencies have registered voters. As I speak here, my constituency has no registered voter including myself. If that exercise will be carried out in order for the referendum to be realised then we need more allocation. I would like to warn those who have been in politics for long, please, give us a break. The continuous"
}