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{
    "id": 1376238,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1376238/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 123,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mumma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issues of delimitation of boundaries is so important. We should collectively be ashamed that we have not triggered implementation of this issue. In fact, we are in breach because matters delimitation of boundaries for constituencies and wards are provided for with timelines within the Constitution, but we have elected not to implement this. We should look down in shame to the fact that we have not been able to operate in a way that implements this. I hope that we will successively ensure that the relevant constitutional Bills or any legislation are put in place to ensure we implement these issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is the issue of parliamentary funds and I would like to speak to the issue of the Oversight Fund. Even as we discuss the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and the Oversight Funds, I want to urge Parliament to ensure that we structure these funds in a way that will respect the principal of separation of powers so that we do not have constitutional provisions that are going to anchor development or functions of the Executive into the legislature. We need to properly ensure that these funds retain the oversight role of the legislature. We would want to ensure that the ongoing current violation around the oversight funds in the Senate is redressed. Otherwise, we are going to have a contradiction in a provision that says the Senate is one when it comes to committees in oversight but when it comes to funds, it is separated into elected and nominated Members. When we come to that we need to ensure that we do the right thing. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we also have the issue of the establishment of the offices of the official opposition and the Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS). My view is that as we establish these offices, if we must, we must also respect the principal of ensuring that we are able to have a strong opposition to be able to effectively check the government of the day. So, we must structure it in such a way that the opposition does not become a puppet of the Executive. We must ensure we guard that issue. Back to the funds, I hope that as a Senate, we will ensure any restructuring of funds will respect the devolved governance system and will not end up with laws that are going to claw back on devolution. We want to ask that whatever legislative instruments come out of this report must only strengthen rather than claw back on devolution. This happens to be tabled at a time when we are also looking at the Budget Policy Statement. In my initial read, I have already seen a few instances where the national Government is freely assigning itself functions that belong to the counties. I hope that as we implement the recommendations of this committee, we will ensure that we are respecting the devolved governance system. Finally, I hope that we can come up with an implementation mechanism on the various issues in order for this to go beyond just a casual political agreement so that we are able to tell Kenyans that it was worth it to come together, put the resources into this report and we are going to implement for the betterment of this country. I thank you."
}