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"id": 1445768,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1445768/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana EGH",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "costs of the counties. The counties were meant to give the 30 per cent contribution, so that they would have their own headquarters. The other four counties were Tharaka-Nithi, Lamu, Isiolo and Nyandarua. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to focus on the fact that Tana River County has not built its own county headquarters since devolution started up to date. This is despite the promise by the national Government to give the 70 per cent contribution. The Chairman of Committee on Finance and Budget, Sen. Roba, invited the five Senators from these five counties to attend the meetings, so that we could resolve the issues. At the end of these meetings, there were commitments that were made by the national Government and the governors of the county governments agreed that they would finish their part. Mr. Speaker, Sir, up to now, the five county headquarters have not been constructed. I acknowledge here that the national Government, through the Principal Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, and the Principal Secretary for Treasury and Economic Planning have played their part. They have even written agreements to transfer the full responsibility of construction to the county governments. The issue about who is in charge of the actual construction of the projects has been finalized. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget because of the leadership it has shown in this matter. You would visit other counties and see the beautiful county headquarters. Some counties have beautiful executive offices of their governors where important discussions are done. Potential donors, partners and economic investors in the counties go there and have confidence that they are dealing with the right people. However, when you come to our county, it has not been possible, since devolution started, to also enjoy the facilities of a county headquarters. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am grateful to the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget for the work they have done and the leadership they have shown. They called all the five governors, the National Treasury and the Public Accounts Committee together to a table to agree on what needs to be done to solve the issues of county headquarters once and for all. I am grateful that we, as the Senate, have been able to offer leadership through the Committee on Finance and Budget. My prayer is that the implementers, who are the county governors, will now take it from where we left it and construct this building. That the monies that were promised by National Treasury would be released in good time. This is so that the five counties that do not have executive offices for their county governors can enjoy the facilities of good county governments. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I urge the contractors who by now, I believe, must have received their monies to finish the work on time. We have waited for a long time since devolution and Tana River County deserves to have a good county headquarter. Isiolo, Lamu as well as Nyandarua counties deserve to have good county headquarters, where the work of the governors and the county executive can be executed. Apart from that, I take this opportunity also to discuss the question of the mandates of committees within this House. The mandates that committees exercise in this House have been challenged by the recent developments among the youth. The recent demonstrations that took place in the country raised the issue of financial management. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}