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{
    "id": 1437302,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1437302/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 179,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mumma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Anybody who stands has no choice but to support these Bills. The Senate over the years has been struggling to try and persuade the country, the Executive and the National Assembly to pass or ensure that adequate funds are allocated to counties in order for them to deliver on their functions. We are still struggling on this issue, but I would like to commend the Mediation Committee for the effort that they have made. However, I would like to point out that, as a Senate, it is time we think out of the box on how we can help ensure that devolution is implemented fully. Fourteen years after the promulgation of the Constitution, I am suggesting that the Senate creates an intergovernmental mechanism. Since we do not participate in the summit, we need to create a conversation between the Senate and the Ministry charged with devolution, which is the Office of the Deputy President currently, to ensure that we start discussing some of these things. The reason I say so is that many functions or parts of functions are still held by the national Government. If the Senate wants to be seen to do its job, it is time the Senate came up with a mechanism on how we can oversight the national Government on the way they are carrying out the functions that belong to counties, which they are still holding on to. It means that for as long as parastatals like Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) are still in place, they need to be under the oversight of the Senate because they are carrying out county functions. We need to be able to ask the Ministry of Health, whatever they are holding, how much of that money, if it is going towards county function, is being shared equitably, so that every county is benefiting from these funds. So, we need to stop whining and only focusing on oversight of our counties, follow up with the national Government regarding the monies that belong to counties and come up with a mechanism where we can hold the national Government accountable. We must be able to periodically call the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury here to give us a breakdown of how he is ensuring the equitable share---"
}