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{
    "id": 144870,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/144870/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 342,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Okemo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 198,
        "legal_name": "Chrysanthus Barnabas Okemo",
        "slug": "chrysanthus-okemo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, looking at the HANSARD when we were debating the Vote on Account last year, if one takes the trouble to go that far back, there were many comments that were made, some by me and some by other hon. Members. It is unfortunate that I do not think the Minister took the trouble to look at the concerns and comments that hon. Members made last year when his predecessor laid the Vote on Account for the year 2008/2009 on the Table. One of the concerns that was raised in this House was that we would like the Minister to justify the maximum provision under the Constitution which is 50 per cent by making an attempt to show the implementation status for the same period last year. For example, to say when we asked for a Vote on Account, 2008/2009, we got 50 per cent which was so much. During that period, by the time the Appropriations Bill was passed and became an Act of Parliament, we actually spent so much of that Vote on Account so that we are able to see that, indeed, there is a strong justification for asking for 50 per cent and not 40 per cent or 30 per cent. So, that is one observation I made. I thought that in moving the Motion, the Minister would have shown some implementation status to show how much money was spent out of the Vote on Account. That did not happen! So, I am a little concerned about that. The other thing that I thought the Minister would have done would be to show up to date – I know that he did it when he presented the Supplementary Estimates, the actual expenditure up to date – but he should have highlighted areas where he spent less than was provided for or where he spent more or spent exactly what was budgeted for. That really gives us some feel for whether this 50 per cent that he is asking for now is justified or not. I was chatting with Mr. Ogindo about his amended Motion and I said it suffers exactly the same shortcomings as the Minister’s because he has just thrown a figure and the Minister has thrown a figure. So, there is no difference. Therefore, if there had been an attempt to justify Vote by Vote, how much is required, and I think that should be done in future, so that we know. In fact, some of the Votes, I know that he may even require more than 50 per cent. I know that from experience! For some Votes, he will require 50 per cent to be spent immediately because of contractual obligations. Some will be linear; in other words, it will be equal amounts per month. So, when he puts that some total of requirements, it might probably end up with 60 per cent but let us see the actual figures to justify. So, I believe that since the Minister has taken a shortcut and everybody is"
}