Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1240883,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1240883/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 381,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Ojiambo Oundo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I stand to join my colleagues in the debate in support of the Motion that has been submitted by the Decentralised Funds Accounts Committee in respect of 26 constituencies in various counties in this country for the financial years 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. This review of the accounts of the said NG-CDFs for the stated financial years points to symptoms of the challenges we have had as the National Assembly in executing our mandate under Article 95. One of the mandates of the National Assembly is oversight. Oversight is exhibited through review of audited accounts of the various Government funds that have been disbursed after being appropriated by this House. Justice delayed is justice denied is an obvious basic rule. We are now looking at 2013 to 2016 financial years. These are six or so years behind schedule. Even if there was misappropriation or unprofessional conduct, it is extremely difficult to bring the persons responsible to account for their misbehavior or acts of commission or omission. Therefore, it is my rallying call to the Decentralised Funds Accounts Committee -I am glad the Chairperson is here with us today - to find mechanisms for ensuring that all the constituencies’ accounts are audited, reviewed and reports thereof presented to this House for debate, review and adoption. At any given time, we should be up-to-date in respect of our mandate as Members of the National Assembly. Six years down the line, even if there was misappropriation, the high turnover rate of the fund account managers becomes impractical to assess whether there was value for money or not. I call upon the National Assembly to accord the Committee the necessary facilitation, resources - both financial and technical man power - to ensure that they review these reports and bring the perpetrators to book. It is also important for us as the National Assembly to dispense of these accounts. The normal narrative peddled out there by the media, misinformed civil societies and many other busybodies is that Members of Parliament are the managers of these accounts. This is far from the truth. The person charged with accounting for these funds is the fund account manager, the District Accountant and the constituency fund accounts committee in totality with the CEO of the Board. Members of Parliament are not signatories to these funds. They do not make any direct decisions on how the funds are to be utilized. I urge the Fourth Estate to report objectively, knowing who are responsible for any misuse or misappropriation of public funds. This is a malady that affects even some of my colleagues here. They still have the mentality that they are the alpha and omega of the NG-CDF. Members of Parliament have no 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."
}