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{
    "id": 1239003,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1239003/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Chesumei, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Paul Biego",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity which I have waited for. As I stand, I congratulate Hon. Mutemi for bringing back the debate on NG-CDF in a different form and for staying this long. I think the structure of the NG-CDF should be relooked at because it has taken very long for an amendment of the same. There are too many things that I would like the Board to look into so that it can run smoothly. One of the things that I feel should be looked at it is the issuance of bursaries. On the allocations that are given in Section 48(a), the Board should be in a position to also allow primary school students to be given NG-CDF bursaries. These bursaries, currently, are only for secondary schools, tertiary institutions and universities. The Free Primary School Education Programme, which is purported to be free, is not free. It is now very expensive to educate children under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). The Board should not be stuck because if they are only waiting to fund students in secondary schools or universities, what about the foundation at the primary school level? The Board should also look into it because they have powers and the mandate to, at least, allocate some funds to primary schools. With regard to the Board sending auditors, I will echo the sentiments made by other Members and my colleagues that it makes no sense to send auditors whereas the people who messed up are long gone. It will be very difficult for new Members to know what happened within that period of time. I also want an alignment of new Members with funds managers. There is total confusion. As much as we are mandated to oversee the NG-CDF, sometimes I wonder how we are supposed to do it whereas some things have been overtaken by events. Sometimes, even committee members, who are supposed to be independent, tend to follow what the fund managers tell them because they do not know who they are serving. They should be serving the great people of their constituencies, but because their offices are next to those of the fund managers, so much happens and they do not know who they should be answerable to. As Members of Parliament, during campaigns, we make promises to our constituents and they tell us what they want us to do. As much as we still go for public participation, we are the ones who know what our constituents need. At some point, the Board should also consider our input. Our work is to oversee the Fund, but we should also be in the loop, so that activities that are being funded in the constituency are in tandem with what we promised our constituents. To achieve that, there should be some form of training for Members and district accountants. I do not have a problem with district accountants. The only problem in Chesumei Constituency is understaffing. District accountants are sometimes understaffed. However, that problem is beyond us. Sometimes, we may not get work done in the proper manner and at the right time because of understaffing. I suggest that we also train our own accountants in our constituencies to have some kind of mandate, or to be assistants to district accountants with equal mandate. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}