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{
    "id": 1274027,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1274027/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 475,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "We have seen some drawbacks to devolution. For example, we have seen some conversations where primary health care function like community health volunteers now want to be taken over by the national Government. What is the Committee on Health doing about it? Regardless of whether you are in Government or not, something has to be done about this matter and many other cases. What are we doing about issues of housing, which fall under my good friend Sen. Thang’wa, the Chairperson of the Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing? This fixation on which side of the coalition we are in is going to interfere with the proper functioning of this Senate. I implore upon my colleagues in this House from both sides of the political divide to ensure that our guiding principle in this House is how well we represent our counties and protect the interests of the counties and their governments. Secondly, Article 219 of the Constitution states is very clear that – “A county’s share of revenue raised by the national government shall be transferred to the county without undue delay and without deduction, except when the transfer has been stopped under Article 225.” It is high time that this Senate took keen interest in Article 219. We cannot be saying we are Senators, but when we go to our counties, our governors tell us: “We have not received money for three months, we have not paid salaries, we stopped projects.” We are not doing our work and yet we call ourselves Senators. Article 219 of the Constitution is there for us. Why are we not invoking that? The National Treasury collects money, but it does not prioritize allocation or disbursement to counties. It prioritizes national functions. As we pass this schedule, we must take into account Article 219 of the Constitution. The Committee on Finance and Budget should do its work. Sometimes, I wonder whether the Minority side should lead the Committee on Finance and Budget. This Committee has to make very weighty decisions. However, because it is led by the Majority side, it cannot make that decision."
}