Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1241157,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1241157/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 231,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, the issue of no written contract for 90 days, is realistic. For example, some companies during the COVID-19 era, that supplied pharmaceuticals and there was no written contract. This law has provided that within 90 days, there must be payment upon of completion of works, invoice and in line with Public Procurement and Disposal Act, among other procurement regulations. There is the Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) that looks into disputes. We have a lot of complaints where award of tender is involved in a lot of recourse. Therefore, they must follow the law in terms of procurement process. Madam Temporary Speaker, we have argued this; why would counties and national Government procure without having the money? Where is the procurement plan? In Integrated Financial and Management Information System (IFMIS), we need to amend the Public Finance Management Act (PFM) Act and look into the regulations. Why would I tell you to supply water to this Chamber, if I do not have the money? There was a proposal by Government then, to display the people that have been awarded contracts. Why not come up with a law both nationally and at county level, to not spend what you do not have. Madam Temporary Speaker, you are senior learned colleague in this profession. You are aware that you cannot sell what you do not have. For example, there is a principle. We must bite the bullet and agree that in the procurement plan, in IFMIS, we can only spend when we have money. I am aware counties are being owed almost Kshs90 billion in terms of disbursement. I have seen the Equalization Fund and the county allocation disbursement. For example, when counties receive Kshs90 billion, I do not find it a problem since they can now implement their procurement plan. One of the shocking things in the audit queries is late Exchequer releases. The problem is we are heading to the end to this financial year and the National Treasury opens IFMIS up to midnight. I do not know why. I have never understood why National Treasury behaves like night runners in terms of opening IFMIS. Night running is not a bad thing. I can see the Senator from Homa Bay smiling excitedly when I mentioned night runners. Young people call people who become more active at night Usiku Sacco . So, I do not know why IFMIS is open up to the last day, then you expect counties to spend and that is how corruption is bred. You remember the former ambassador said that corruption is budgeted for in Kenya. At that time, he put it at a figure of Kshs700 billion. There is no money in the National Treasury. There is service and a pending bill. Where is this money? You go to a county; you get statutory deduction but no remission. Where is the money? It is corruption. I want at this point to thank our national leader, His Excellency Dr. William Ruto for deciding to fight corruption head on. For example, the clean-up that happened in the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) will assist in ensuring that we get timely disbursement of drugs. Therefore, I commend him. I expected Sen. Oketch Gicheru to comment and laud the President for the efforts of fighting corruption. At the end of the day, we need to be honest and truthful men."
}