Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1271817,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1271817/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 348,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13592,
        "legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
        "slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
    },
    "content": "hardworking individuals. They have tried to summon us when we are late; they have always consulted us; they have always talked and told us about the responsibility we have been carrying. As I contribute to the issue of the Disbursement Schedule that is being done by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget from where I sit; honestly, the way the Vice-Chairperson spoke, the truth is that we have been banning the midnight oil to make sure that these reports are completed on time. This is because we, as Committee, can present our Schedule and ensure that devolution does not collapse. One of the things that I would like to discuss is that, first, I am happy that most of the committees now, after 10 years of devolution, are beginning to understand their responsibility. Our major role is to have our committees act, or indeed the Senate acts as a secondary oversight role in making sure that we follow up on the amounts of money that the national Government releases to the county government. Again, we are supposed to follow up with the primary oversight authority, which is the county assembly, to make sure that resources that they get are used and channelled directly to the county governments that we represent. My major responsibility has been to follow up and do my job; accept what my mandate and my responsibility is. That mandate is to act as the oversight officer, follow up on the detailing that the Kenyan public is listening to and how this money is released where it goes, and how it is spent. To a large extent, what normally happens is that there is confusion, which is created deliberately. We have heard some of our colleagues here mentioning that it is very common and obvious to hear some governors saying how money has not been released by the Government. In fact, the Government is the one that is not paying salaries. I have been telling my colleagues in the opposition where we belong that at some point when a Government is in office and it participates in doing something that is appreciated, we should give them credit."
}