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{
"id": 1292126,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1292126/?format=api",
"text_counter": 244,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "It therefore means, if this Bill is utilised properly by the counties, they will be able to assess their performance in various aspects. For instance, in agriculture, using this matrix that is set out here in this Schedule, a county is able to say that it received this much in agriculture and its produce is this much. We can tell whether there is return on investment. All counties should be gauged against what they have benefited from through this County Governments Additional Allocations Bill. This Bill should have a monitoring matrix that helps us to see whether when funding is directed to counties, it eventually benefits the people who are residents in that county. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, regarding the court fines, I have noted that in some of the counties including Murang’a and many others, there is no allocation for the court fines that have been collected. For instance, I have seen that Nyandarua, Nyamira, Trans- Nzoia, Vihiga and West Pokot counties have little allocated under court fines. It is only 1,650.20. I believe it is quoted in shillings. The schedule does not show whether the quote of the figures is in millions. Mandera is Kshs1,028. Unless there is a problem with the Schedule, it then means that nobody was fined in that county. So, no amount has been allocated. There is a need to check whether that is the accurate position or not. When I look at page 588, the Second Schedule in that Bill, the allocation for mineral royalties, for instance, for Garissa is Kshs844,691.51. The same allocation is put against the court fines. Does it mean that the royalties were equal to the fines or is there a typo? The same goes for Kajiado, Kshs660, 242,991.11 allocated against the mineral royalties and the court fines. That is repeated for Kilifi, Kisii, Kwale, Nandi, Samburu and Siaya counties. I believe there was a typo or replication of the figures between the mineral royalties and the court fines. That would then need to be amended so that we can have an accurate statement of the figures that are being sent in that direction. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, regarding the royalties that are being earned from the mining, the figures that are quoted here are an understatement. If you look at some of the gemstones and the special minerals that are being sold worldwide, Kshs600, 000 or Kshs1 million is very little in terms of a country or county budget. It therefore means that we have not harnessed the full value of the resources that are within our country. Maybe, it is because of the environment that we have been in where even mining licences were frozen. They have not been issued. The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, our friend, Hon. Salim Mvurya, has been to this House and confirmed that they are not issuing mining licences anymore until they are ready to issue them. We urge the Ministry to open up this area because these resources are ready for harnessing. Although the licences are not being issued, we still have illegal miners who are taking advantage of the minerals and the environment that we are in. They are still trading on those minerals behind the Government’s back. We need to put that area under control. The only way to do it is to bring back the licensing. That way, the Government will understand who is mining the minerals, where, 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."
}