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{
    "id": 1232782,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1232782/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I thank all the Senators that have taken the time to give their input and feedback on the Division of Revenue Bill of the Financial Year 2023/2024. As I said while moving the Bill, this is one of the most important assignments that a Senator gets to undertake in this House. You sit down, discuss with your colleagues and agree on the vertical distribution of resources between the national and county governments. I have listened to ideas from colleagues on how they intend to go about this exercise. Of course, I have listened to many of our colleagues lament about the need of ensuring there is more prudent utilization of these resources. I could not agree with them any better. That is given and we should not have a big fight about it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, second and most importantly, we have also agreed as Senate, on the need to continuously defend and stand for the interests of county governments. I have listened to many Senators, especially our colleagues from the Minority side. It is unfortunate that as I reply, most of them are not here. They keep on humming and remind us that we need to send additional resources to the counties, so on, and so forth. In my moving notes earlier on, I pointed out the economic challenges that we are experiencing locally. I reminded our colleagues that many of the sins we are paying for are sins of the past. Unfortunately, the economy is such that we live today under the trees that we planted in the yesteryears. Such is the guidance of the economy as well; that today, we pay for the sins of either prudent or improper management of the economy. It is the decision that we are making today. The real impact of the economic decisions that we make presently will be felt further years down the line. It is so evident given the financial situation that we find ourselves in. As our colleagues find comfort in running on the streets, screaming themselves hoarse, saying that the economy needs to be managed better, of course, we have equally reminded them that many of these challenges, whether it is debt or complete pilferage of resources, was done under the watch of the previous administration, of which they were very strong supporters and defenders. We were in this House jointly with them. If you have a problem, go and speak it elsewhere. That is why we find ourselves in this situation. I want to appreciate the new administration that is in office. The interventions that are being made in agriculture and even by just ensuring that we are fiscally responsible by reducing on our fiscal deficit from 5.7 per cent to 4.0 per cent in the next financial year. There are reforms that are taking place in the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). I know that many of the purveyors of graft in KRA are not happy. That is why they are begging to hire people across the media, in Parliament and in different places. They try to run fake stories and theories on why our revenue is not performing as per the expected levels. I am glad that KRA issued a clarification and said: Ladies and gentlemen, if you"
}