Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1275755,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1275755/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 279,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I resume from where I was previously by making comments that I appreciate the diligence and the hard work that it takes to serve in the Committee on Finance and Budget. I make no light of the work that all our other committees do. However, I say this with utmost good faith that, it takes a Senator of great discipline and dedication to the work of this House to serve in this particular committee. On many occasions, if it is the Budget Policy Statement that is laid on the Floor of this House, we are told within 14 days you need to have considered it, listen to the reports of all the other committees and table your report in this House. Immediately after, we move to the budget cycle. Again that commences immediately after the beginning of a financial year and these colleagues of ours have to churn out reports. We have just concluded on the Cash Disbursement Schedule of which we are told that we are out of time. We should have made that consideration, but you know for a fact that the timelines fell when we were on recess. Therefore, I appreciate the work that this Committee has done. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill was introduced in the National Assembly as National Assembly Bills No.16, with the sole intention of amending certain provisions of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act of Parliament. I think this is the most amended Act of Parliament in the history of Parliament. Every other financial year, something keeps on coming up. The reason why people continue to violate the PFM Act is because it keeps on changing so quickly that they do not even follow through or many people do not get the time to appreciate and understand its provisions. That is not to make an excuse for any accounting officer, that they can get the clip of the Senate Majority Leader speaking and say that you can see even the Senate Majority Leader has acknowledged that because of the many changes they make to the PFM Act, it is hard to stick or follow through with the regulations. As good public servants, we expect them to be abreast with all the happenings in Parliament such that when we conclude on any amendment, they are able to read and follow through. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, from the chairperson’s foreword, I appreciate that quite a number of stakeholders appeared before this Committee to make their submissions; the National Treasury, the Council of Governors (CoG), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) and the International Budget Partnership Kenya. These are very important stakeholders. Over the years, these are amongst stakeholders that always appear whenever there is any item before the Committee on Finance and Budget. I have forgotten the name of their Director. He is a small-bodied gentleman, but greatly patriotic and loves this country. He appears each time that there are matters before the Senate to come and make their contribution. Last but not least, is the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA). In my first stint in the Committee, we actually had a dedicated Chair, for the CRA Chairperson because it is impossible as the Committee on Finance and Budget to consider any matter"
}