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{
"id": 1238987,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1238987/?format=api",
"text_counter": 291,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kipipiri, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Wanjiku Muhia",
"speaker": null,
"content": "like this and that. I will also have water projects.” When we do not get the funds in time, then we are late to implement our manifestos. I can, therefore, say that this Report is not stale. This Report speaks very strongly about district accountants. I am a perfect example to speak on the issue of district accountants. I think that district accountants and many other national Government officials who are seconded to the constituencies through the National Treasury are stumbling blocks to the process of the NG-CDF. I recently launched the bursary in Kipipiri Constituency, where every child in the constituency now pays only Ksh2,000 as school fees. Two days before we went to launch with many Hon. Members of this House, the bursary cheques were not yet written nor signed by the district accountant. These are Government officers who will go to work on Monday, then disappear for the rest of the week. They live in other counties and come back on Friday only to issue demands for them to write cheques. They demand to be briefed and they think that the fund managers are under them. There is so much disconnect between these officers. I support what Hon. Chepkonga and many other Members have spoken about that it is time we changed the NG-CDF Act. We should mandate the board to employ all officers who deal directly with the NG-CDF like procurement officers and the accountants. The fund managers are already employed by them, but the designers come from the public works. This will make work easier. We have a number of funds and we can attest without fear of contradiction that the most tangible projects on the ground are as a result of the NG-CDF. I 100 per cent, second and support this Report on district accountants. Hon. Temporary Speaker, there is the issue of harmonisation of funds. A child may be given bursary by a governor, Member of the County Assembly (MCA), area Member of Parliament, Woman Representative, and religious well-wishers, other than Shakahola churches, but another child may not get even one shilling from the bursary. It is time leaders, and I throw this challenge to the Chairperson of the Decentralised Funds Accounts Committee, sat down to burn the midnight oil in order to come up with a way of allocating funds with regard to education. If today my governor decided to support university education, he will remove from me close to 2,000 students. If an MCA supports students in boarding schools, he will remove from me close to 2,000 students. I will remain with 8,000 students who are all day scholars. As such, I will fund a minimum of Ksh5,000 per child and this will reduce the burden on parents. It will ensure continuity and no child will ever be sent home for lack of school fees. Clearly, we must not end this 13th Parliament before we harmonise funds, particularly those meant to support education. I am also amazed by this issue of audit. The board has employed a number of auditors. They send them to our constituencies knowing well about our calendar. They know elections were done in August and our term will expire in August. Why do they not pick a time frame, and I hope Mr. Bruno and his team are watching these proceedings, and send the audit team to the constituencies in a timely manner? Why do I say this? Recently, a team was sent to Kipipiri. Hon. Kimunya, the fund manager, and the district managers had already left. They argue that the papers had not left. Yes, the papers had not, but who is answerable for the classrooms in Kipipiri which were constructed during the last Parliament and are now condemned because they have cracks? Is this value for money? Are we, as overseers of funds in our country, standing for value for money? It is high time the Decentralised Funds Accounts Committee called the CEO and his team and let them send auditors in a timely manner before the end of the 13th Parliament. That way, I will be squarely responsible to my people."
}