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{
    "id": 1271824,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1271824/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 355,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13592,
        "legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
        "slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
    },
    "content": "are run properly, the resources are utilised well, and services are provided on time so that our country can move forward because this is what we want for our country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when you look at the audit reports, because I sit in the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget, as you saw it being announced by the Kenya Kwanza Government, the pending bills are about Kshs560 billion. Hon. Members of this Senate, I would like to plead with you, let us make sure that we look for a structured way how we can sit down and come up with a proposal on how we can make sure that the issue of the pending bill is sorted out, once and for all. One of the suggestions that I would like to make is that I saw my Vice- Chairperson, Sen. Tabitha Keroche, raise the issue. Why are county governments and national Government departments agreeing to go to tender for jobs when they know very well that the jobs they are tendering for, do not have the resources to complete the construction or the implementation of these projects? Let us be prudent with ourselves; let us spend what we have. If we know that we have Kshs3 trillion, let us put all our eggs in that Kshs3 trillion. Let us agree that we cannot continue spending money that we do not have. That is the reason why it is attractive to borrow. It is attractive to break our borrowing ceilings; it is attractive to spend the money because, we in this Parliament; the National Assembly, and the Senate, go out and agree that certain projects are going to be done yet we know very well that we have no money to do these projects. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, by default, we deliberately borrow. Instead of bringing the money to do the projects, we divert it from the projects, which were supposed to be completed eight years ago. We now start new projects because we have an interest in them and we have been elected to these positions. Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, this is why you find county government executive officers; serving governors, do not want to pay pending bills which were incurred by the previous governors. This House must talk to the governors. We must tell them that if people worked and you can confirm so by providing a certificate. The Auditor-General, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Controller of Budget (CoB) have confirmed it, then as a governor, why do you refuse to pay these individuals? I have a man who I would like presented before the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget in the next two weeks when Kisii County Government is being summoned to appear. The man is in civil jail in Kisii prison. His wife died. The man had borrowed Kshs7 million, eight years ago. He lost the money because the tender was for KShs16 million. He has been committed to civil jail and the County Government has refused to pay him."
}