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{
    "id": 1232779,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1232779/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abass",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13587,
        "legal_name": "Abass Sheikh Mohamed",
        "slug": "abass-sheikh"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I would like to contribute on this Bill. As you are aware, the responsibility of this Senate is to safeguard interests of counties and see that devolution succeeds. In the last budget of the Financial Year 2022/2023, counties were given Kshs370 billion. To date, Kshs125 billion has not been disbursed. Most counties are facing problems serving wananchi. We have seen our doctors on the streets which is very unfortunate. People of that cadre should not be on the streets demonstrating around because of salaries. Another issue is that the national Government has abandoned most of the functions of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and taken them to counties. Equally, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, functions have been abandoned and taken to counties. Counties are only crying for Kshs22 billion difference. The Kshs385 billion that is proposed here and what was proposed by CRA has a difference of only Kshs22 billion. At the same time, the national Government has increased the budget for water, health, and agriculture. Most of these functions have now been taken to counties. They have been devolved and money has not followed. That is unfair. We understand the economic situation in the country. However, if only the monies for counties are released in time, they will be able to manage the situation on the ground. One of our problems is the lack of proper oversight. A lot of corruption going on in counties. We are losing a lot of revenue through corruption and pilferage. The Senate must be in action and work hard to see that the monies in counties are saved. If that money is saved and we control the corruption, then counties will be able to meet their mandate and functions. However, the percentage of money that is lost through pilferage and corruption is more than what they are requesting. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is high time this House took responsibility to empower Assemblies so that they can do proper oversight in order to control corruption and at least minimize it. This House needs to increase its efforts to see that--- My Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations is of the view that all devolved functions must be taken to the counties. This is especially for the MoH and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-Operatives. The same functions have been devolved and the money should also be sent to counties. It is just the same way they have done for the libraries. Equally, funds for agriculture should be sent to counties since this function has now been devolved. It is high time we settled this business of push and pull between the national and county governments. With those few remarks, I beg to support the Bill."
}