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{
    "id": 1420651,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1420651/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 101,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 170,
        "legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
        "slug": "bonny-khalwale"
    },
    "content": "If we will read from this, then we should push counties to pay entrepreneurs. This will open up the economies of all 47 counties, especially if we add a rider that says contracts must be given to local people in a county unless the expertise for doing a particular project does not exist within that county. It reminds me that the day before yesterday, on Monday, 22nd April 2024, in Kakamega, thanks to the responsibility this House gave me, I carried out an oversight function at the Kakamega Golf Hotel. I invited all creditors to the County Government of Kakamega to whom pending bills are due to come so that we could workshop together. We invited the county assembly and the county executive, but they did not come. The documents we were using in that meeting were submitted by the Governor of Kakamega to the Finance and Budget Committee. We wanted the creditors to verify and validate those lists. The governor saw no sense in coming. Instead, he went and pedalled influence at the police station. The police had the audacity to come and storm the hotel to disperse us. It was a low moment for this House. I have decided to keep the course and allow the people of Kakamega to make their own decisions. One of the companies presented documents at that great meeting. The old man in his 80s, is one of the most successful people in Kakamega and is owed Kshs250 million. This does not bother the governor. The recommendation in this Motion is that the Senator of Narok is attempting to say that the particular amount of money owed should be cleared within this financial year. He is starting a conversation. I would like to challenge myself, the Finance and Budget Committee and the entire House to carry this conversation further so that we help all the counties of Kenya. In Nairobi City County, it would mean that if people were to wait for all the Kshs20 billion we give the county to be given to them, some companies would be paid five years later. We are failing. I had a sitting with the Controller of Budget (CoB) in her office over this. She requested us to help them. The tragedy of this problem is that if you go to the countryside, many projects have stalled because contractors cannot continue. In Kakamega County, for example, our first governor started the Bukhungu Stadium, but it has stalled because of pending bills. The construction of the teaching and referral hospital has stalled because of pending bills. Khayega, Shinyalu, and Ikolomani markets have stalled because of pending bills. The Khayega, Shinyalu and Chepsonoi road has stalled due to pending bills. When we raise these issues, governors are quick to run and say that we want their seats. Who told governors that they have seats? Those seats belong to the people of those respective counties and they have the choice to renew their contract or throw them out so that, more competent people can take over after a cycle of five years. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hear you. Amen. If we are not firm as Parliament, we will either throw our country into instability like what is happening in West Africa. The outdated way of change of Government is now back in Africa. We are now seeing coup d 'etats"
}