Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1232794,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1232794/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 215,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Tabitha Mutinda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "This Bill is with regard to 34 counties which constitute 1424 marginalized areas that have been spread across different counties. This is a Bill that has been appropriated funds amounting to Kshs54 billion in the financial year 2021/2022. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on this Bill, Kshs26 billion has already been approved by the National Assembly in the First Supplementary Budget. Out of this, Kshs26 billion, Kshs12 billion has already been remitted to this Fund. Out of this, there is a balance that is amounting to Kshs13 billion out of the Kshs26 billion that had already been remitted and in this appropriation, the Bill provides a total of the Kshs13 billion which comprises of Kshs6 billion for the financial year 2021/2022 and Kshs7 billion for financial year 2022/2023. This Bill also has a Schedule on the Equalization Allocation. As I said earlier on, the 34 counties out of 47 counties that have been identified. Within those 34 counties, 1400 are different regions within the 34 counties that have been identified. This is a very important Bill because on the issues and the services that are supposed to be offered on the specific areas as far as health, roads and electricity issues are concerned; you realise as devolved functions as per the Fourth Schedule, these are very important issues with regard to this Bill because the health sector is a very important factor and these funds are going to improve the health sectors within the different areas of the 1400 areas that have been identified. We have the first allocation that had been remitted to the counties and you will realize that out of the delay of the disbursement of the funds, some projects have not been completed. Some projects have also been completed but the contractors have not been able to hand over these projects hence delaying the key service that is supposed to be offered in these institutions. For instance, even some of the buildings like the small hospitals have been put in place but they cannot be utilized by the local people in those regions, hence bring a challenge. This is a very important Bill because it is going to ensure that these funds are going to cater for the services that they are supposed to cater for. We have in regions and areas like the Eastern region where electricity, which is part of this Fund, you will find that in some areas we have challenge. You will see that education factor that the previous Government had mentioned in terms of ensuring that there is electricity in different regions. There are challenges in institutions like learning institutions that have not been able to have this commodity and element that helps in different aspects from use of different gadgets. We are in a digital space. Without some of these services like electricity, then it becomes a challenge in this region. This is an important Bill as far as ensuring that services reach the marginalised counties. It is not only about reaching, but also timeliness of the services. The Equalization Fund Advisory Board will immediately commence identifying projects to be implemented. We have projects that had already been identified, but there will be an opportunity to also identify others."
}