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{
    "id": 1245461,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1245461/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 175,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kisang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "There are counties that have been marginalised. I know there is Equalisation Fund. There are counties that have suffered for long, especially in terms of insecurity. When CRA is doing these policies on allocation, they do not consider that. They talk about poverty and population. The population we are using is of 2009 instead of the latest 2019 census. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as everybody has said, county assemblies need autonomy from the Executive. We have already agreed on what resources they are supposed to get but they have issues. You will find a county that has about 40 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) has about 25 committees. If it is a minimum of six Members per committee, it means that a member belongs to about six committees. Even here in the Senate, most of us are in either two or three committees. It is not easy to be effective in three committees because of the venues and timings of the committees. Committees are supposed to sit on Tuesdays and Thursdays up to lunch hour. If they are many, where will they sit? Probably it is the allowances that is making MCAs put themselves in so many committees. They appear there technically and do not make meaningful contributions. It is important that the committee does regulations as Members have proposed so that they become effective and meaningful in terms of their primary oversight role at the county level. I am happy that there is about Kshs4 billion here on reimbursement of the motor vehicle grant for MCAs. Some counties have not allocated the car grant to the MCAs. Most of them are using public means. For those who have even agreed to reimburse the car grant, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) are demanding 30 per cent of the car grant. Counties need to budget so that our Members of County Assemblies (MCA) can work effectively. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have also seen that they are spending a lot of money on insurance and legal services. I agree with the Committee that they need to hire their own internal legal counsels. They should have lawyers in the panel so that they can hire on a need basis if the internal capacity cannot execute the court cases. As we go towards the review of the allocation of the formula, it is important that the Senate ensures fairness in terms of allocation of resources to counties. As Sen. Wambua said, we need to call the National Treasury and representation of the Council of Governors (CoG) to come before a Committee of the Whole House to discuss this matter. It was agreed that resources are supposed to be disbursed timely and yet three or four months down the line, counties have not received resources. They have not paid salaries for the last three months. County assemblies and our hospitals are closing because they want to go on a go slow or strike."
}