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"id": 1270353,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1270353/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13219,
"legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
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"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I also rise to support but with a rider that I hope the chair who has moved this Bill will agree that we enrich the contents with some ideas which will make it more useful to the people who reside in our counties. Madam Temporary Speaker, first, I want to agree with the sentiments of Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale this afternoon. Article 204 on Equalization Fund was meant to bring to speed counties that have been lagging behind because of bad government policies. To be very fair, imagine Nandi County being compared with Nyamira or Kericho Counties. How can my neighbours, Kericho, with those huge tea estates and the dairy farming that is being undertaken in Kericho, with the good rivers and the supply of piped water, be called a marginalised county? If you have gone to Nyamira County, there is an area called Keroka. The population in Keroka is like that of an urban centre. That is how bad it is. We do not have piped water, but there is this argument that Kisiis are hardworking. We are able to build houses that have iron sheets so we are able to tap rainwater and use it. The government argues that Kisii is blessed with good rainfall, we can harvest water and use it. We do not need piped water. The truth of the matter is that this was a very good idea. I commend the first Senate. They came up with a good formula and picked the right counties that were meant to benefit, the first 14 counties. We look at the names of the first counties that were to benefit from this fund and you cannot fault it. If you have been to Turkana, you will be out of your mind to doubt that Turkana needs an Equalization Fund. The same case applies to the County of Mandera. We have sat with governors who gave us horrendous stories. The distance that people have to walk in Mandera before they get a health facility. The distance that they have to walk before they can get water. Sen. Ali Roba, you can correct me if I am wrong, I think the first tarmac road f hit the furthest point of northern Kenya during the tenure of President Kibaki. It is about ten years ago. When you hear the stories, you appreciate that there are counties that honestly deserve to benefit from this Equalization Fund. You go to Tana River, you find pastoralists who, God forbid, if they fall sick, do not know where to get a health centre. When you are told about an Equalization Fund, that is what it should be. This one of putting 34 counties where people are actually living happily, is not right. I hope that when we look at the formula next, we will do justice to the Kenyan people. We only allow counties that are most deserving to be the only ones that are benefiting from this Equalization Fund. We have had a lot of hiccups. You remember in 2015, the first implementation matrix was struck off by the courts because we did not get it right. Money has been stuck in Treasury for a long time. I was initially opposed to this extension of 10 years, but looking at the time that we have lost, maybe there is wisdom in proposing that in line with Article 204, we can give a non-renewable extension of 10 years, but with a rider that we will have to re-look at the formula and ensure that this money only benefits counties that are most deserving. Secondly, regarding the proposal that has been made on the Floor by Sen. Cherarkey, I want to persuade Senators, including Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, to look at that proposal objectively. Let us also borrow from the practices that we have seen from our The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}