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{
    "id": 1445831,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1445831/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13577,
        "legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
        "slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
    },
    "content": "During the period under review, there were a lot of challenges in getting the National Treasury to disburse the funds that were allocated and meant for counties. The National Treasury as currently structured, still behaves and lives in a manner to suggest they work and belong to the national Government, but at will and pleasure, serve the counties in their spare time. That is not what was envisaged in the Constitution. If you look at Article 225 of our Constitution, we still need to revisit that Article as Parliament and relook into the Public Finance and Management Act in order to make the National Treasury a national treasury, and not a national Government Treasury. Having said that, I am afraid that the State Department for Public Works, which was tied with the responsibilities of design, supervision and management of the projects, have also contributed to the failures of completion of those projects. If you look at the Bill of Quantities (BQ) generated by the State Department for Public Works compared to the actuals in the market, you would find that they are always inflated. Madam Temporary Speaker, you will recall when the Government decided to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in this country. In that process, they decided that they are going to build a technical training institute (TTI) in every constituency in this country. When the State Department for Public Works was asked to design a model TTI that would be built in all the constituencies, their costs came close to almost Kshs150 to Kshs200 million. When Rift Valley Technical Training Institute was asked to do the same design and produce the BQ through the principal, Dr. Tarno, you would be surprised that those TTIs were constructed at a cost of Kshs50 million. Therefore, as we address the issues of disbursement, we must also address the issues of costing of those projects. The issue of stalled projects in counties will not be accounted for by only the lack of disbursement from the National Treasury. Sometimes, it is also caused by the same county governments, particularly when there is transition. You will find that the new administration will begin new projects. However, it must be understood that all the functions county governments undertake are clearly spelled out in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. Therefore, there is no county administration that will do or initiate projects outside the functions that have been devolved. What we are seeing is duplication. You will find a Level 5 facility that was being developed in a county at 70 per cent complete during the exchange of administration, and the new administration decides they are going to build another Level 4 or Level 5 facility elsewhere, abandoning a Level 5 facility that was 70 per cent complete. I urge this House that it is probably time we review the County Governments Act to provide for a law or amendments, to make sure that during transition, there is a complete assessment of the status of projects in every county and a report submitted to the Senate. The first budget of the new administration should be compared with the report that has been passed by Parliament to ensure that there are no stalled projects. New administrations have also been hiding under a cover and very popular term of pending bills. I get surprised that in my own county, when I find the Governor telling members of the public that there was a pending bill of about Kshs700 million or what. My colleague Chairs were in my county for a conference last time. When we visited the Governor for a courtesy call, he also alluded the same. 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."
}