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{
    "id": 1286042,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1286042/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "In fact, later on, I will refer to the amendments that have been proposed by the Committee on matters nomenclature. They have paid even greater attention so that the Committee is using a language that is agreeable to the provision of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act. For instance, you will come across some words that have been used because of maybe poor drafting due to the Bill being hurried. If you read through the Report, it is using words such as ‘budgeted for’. This means that once resources have been budgeted for a certain purpose, you cannot divert to a different purpose. The wording in the Bill as is, before the amendment that will be coming from the Committee, is reserve. We are specific. We do not want to just reserve. We want to budget for the same resources. This Bill was first published on 15th September, 2023 and read for a First Time then. Of course, I have explained that this Bill provides for public health facility improvement financing, management and administration. I have laid basis of the justification using live examples of things that you need to check in your own county governments, some of which are provided in the PFM Act. Section 109(2)(b) of the PFM Act stipulates that: “The County Treasury for each county government shall ensure that all money raised or received by or on behalf of the county government is paid into the County Revenue Fund, except money that may, in accordance with other legislation, this Act or County legislation, be retained by the county government entity which received it for the purposes of defraying its expenses.” This is what will blockade your resources. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will use an example which I do not like. I am not a very big fun of the National Government-Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). However, one of the reasons why NG-CDF remains to be very popular amongst citizens of the Republic, is that its use is stratified. There is a certain percentage beyond which a Member of Parliament (MP) cannot spend those resources. There is an amount you can use for bursary, sports activities and administration. All these are specified and provided in the law. That is the brilliance of NG-CDF. That is why on many occasions when you take the discussion to members of the public, despite our opinion as a House on the same Fund, they appreciate it for what it has done. That is the same kind of thinking that informs this decision. Therefore, this Bill will ring fence the money generated by the health facilities ensuring that there is a predictable regular and steady source of funding for the health facilities operation in our counties. That is intended to guarantee funds are utilized for improvement of patient care at individual facilities and you prevent them from being absorbed into the county coffers. I have explained what happens in our counties. Check with your own counties and you will notice all counties actually without exception, do this particular thing. Mr. Speaker, Sir, investing in our public health facility improvement financing and effective management and administration of these funds, is an essential pillar of equitable health care system. We are talking about UHC. However, the discussion cannot just end and begin at how much funds have been raised. It is about how we use those funds that we have raised. 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."
}