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{
    "id": 1406048,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406048/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 376,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to be very candid that what had been indicated in the Bill falls short of nothing, but deceitful. It is very shocking that the House of Parliament can introduce a Bill and completely deceive not just this House, but also Kenyans in terms of the content of the Bill. To be told that the baseline indicated in the Bill was a figure of their imagination, so that they can demonstrate to Kenyans that we are increasing money for counties, is very wrong. It is completely uncouth and uncivilised. Whoever did that should be ashamed of himself. We are in this House because of Article 96 of the Constitution of Kenya, which is to defend the interests of our counties and their governments. The Committee on Finance and Budget has shown diligence, fiduciary to the rule of law and has demonstrated to this country that Senate is here to defend devolution. There is a word that my brother, Sen. Ali Roba, used. He said that governors are quick to accept goodies from the national Government. They would go out there to make feel-good political statements that we are doing this and that. It is about time that Kenyans realise that those statements are causing projects to stall. This is when you prioritise someone else's projects at the expense of your own. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the national Government and the county government have their own share of resources. We keep on talking about the challenges that we face in our counties, including the limited resources that we send to our counties. Instead of these 47 executives realizing that they have little money to carry out all the functions which have not even been costed, they rush to say, “national Government, we are happy, come in and help us build industrial parks, we will contribute a huge amount.” That is number one. Number two is that on the issue of the CHP, they would say they will pay 50 per cent. Where is that money coming from? Do these governors understand accounting and financial discipline? They do not understand because, in most cases, all they do is line their own pockets. When they get into office, those who used to live in apartments now go into those apartments and get an earth moving equipment to crash everything together with the cockroaches and build big mansions overnight. I challenge all of you distinguished Senators to traverse counties and ask your governors where they lived last year. When did we vote? Where were they living on 9th August, 2022 and where are they living now? Most of them were living in small huts, which were infested by cockroaches and everything, but they are now living in manicured mansions at the expense of taxpayers, yet no one sees a problem in that. When we come here, we tell Kenyans, ‘wake up, you are being taken for a ride. The Senate is fighting for your rights.’ People then start saying ‘ wacha zako,’ just because their pockets are being lined. Forgive me for trying to ‘impute improper motive,’ but facts are stubborn. It is quite deceitful for even the National Assembly to delay in approving audited financial statements, so that even the figures which are used to determine the division of revenue from two levels of government is dated back to financial year 2020/2021. 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 and AudioServices, Senate."
}