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{
    "id": 1241099,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1241099/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 173,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we rise here to speak, let us speak being conscious that as a Senate, under Article 96 of the Constitution, we were elected to defend counties and their governments. It is not our business to hold brief for the national Government. This matter will continue haunting us. I know that where I come from in the County of Nyamira and where Sen. Cherarkey comes from in Nandi County, people who resides in those counties, need medicine in hospitals. This is a devolved function. They also need water in those hospitals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we see our counties being deprived of adequate resources, we must speak about it. If we are behaving badly, we should concede that we have behaved badly. On the issue of resources, I still maintain that we do not send adequate resources to our counties. That is a shameful thing we, as Senators, do. Moving on to VAT, I wish Sen. Cherarkey would remember the statements he has made in the past. He is on record having condemned the increase of VAT on fuel. Being a lawyer, when you say something, you should believe in it. I hate this idea of people voting for us thinking that we are retained politicians because we say something today and we change tomorrow. The issue of VAT is not a small matter because it has a trickle effect on businesses and that is why Sen. Kibwana wants the Committee to bring that information to the House. We all know that when you raise VAT on fuel from the current 8 to 16 per cent, there will be a trickle effect to the common mwananchi, the so called hustlers. It is sad that we are abandoning hustlers hardly before our first anniversary in office as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) administration. The issue of taxation is not something to joke with. Poor taxation measures have brought down governments. We must be conscious about the people who vote for us who are also poor. I do not mind the increase of taxation to 35 per cent. In fact, I wish the 3 per cent property tax, the one you want to take away from teachers, could be lumped on Members of Parliament (MPs), so that you pay 38 per cent. Maybe that will make us think when we are passing laws touching on taxation. Bringing a law that is going to increase fuel on boda boda is being insensitive. As people who have been elected to speak on behalf of our people---"
}