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{
    "id": 1442865,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1442865/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 61,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "As a sign of goodwill and trust because trust has been completely eroded at this time, the worst thing to do is for the National Assembly to come for the Budget and Finance Committee to consider that recommendation immediately, for people to be satisfied that it is behind us. Having done that, it is more important that the National Treasury must table the new budget estimates that capture the new reality; less Kshs3.9 trillion, less the Kshs346 billion that was lost. People must take a cut and my proposal is a very simple exercise. The Kshs346 billion out of Kshs3.9 trillion budget is 9 per cent, at least at the national level. I would not wish that the same be applied to our counties, which must be on equity basis. Do a pro rata cut on national Government institutions. If your budget was Kshs300 billion as a State Department or an agency, submit your new estimates, less 9 per cent so that you are left to go and do the reappropriation of whatever needs to be done. We shall have a new budget by next week that captures that particular reality. We are being reminded that living within our means is not an option anymore. I believe that when our colleagues reconvene in the National Assembly, they would be guiding us in that particular issue. However, I have to be specific to say that since, in the first instance, the distribution to counties was not pro rata. I do not know what is being proposed, but the shave cannot be pro rata to counties. I know it is not in my place. However, at the very least, counties should not get less than what they got last year. I know it is difficult, but we must somehow protect. Hon. Members, I do not know if you follow this conversation. Even in our own county level, people have become more critical in budget making process. They are beginning to ask our county governors to lay out their budget in public so that they see the confidential vote if it is there. You know there are many budget lines that people do not follow, but have now become more alive to reality of the budget making process in our counties. I am sure colleagues will speak about it when they get time. I cannot say everything. We need to look also at the architecture of devolution as presently constituted; whether it can work, you know--- Mr. Speaker, Sir, you were a governor between 2013 and 2017. Many young people, women and the vulnerable made a life out of doing business with counties. There was a spread of resources. You could see a young person in every village and be told so and so is a road contractor, he supplies this and the other trades with the county. People could begin to appreciate these things that were completely unknown to the country before the promulgation of a new Constitution. There are no such people in our villages post 2017. In fact, I have seen on the Floor of this House many times that unless the governor is your personal friend or your father, nobody can dare trade with them. As protectors and custodians of devolution, the House is charged with the responsibility to make sure that devolution works in our county. Before we exit this Motion, we must propose a way forward. If it means forcing our governors to first clear all the pending bills found to be eligible before rolling out any new development, so that you give life at least to the many women and young people that have lost whatever little 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."
}