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{
"id": 1451647,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1451647/?format=api",
"text_counter": 259,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tinderet, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Julius Melly",
"speaker": null,
"content": "of the NG-CDF, Government resources were not reaching the local areas. We can now see tangible impact in the form of classrooms, toilets, police posts and other facilities. The well-structured nature of the NG-CDF has contributed to its success, making it an example of an effective devolved fund. Billions of shillings have been devolved through the county governments, but their structure is very expensive compared to the NG-CDF structure. The NG-CDF structure has about six employees and a committee led by the chairperson. Every time the committee sits, they are paid an allowance, the total of which is less than 2 per cent of the total cost of the resource fund allocated to that particular constituency. Hon. Temporary Speaker, in effect, the NG-CDF is the most visible Fund across all the constituencies, counties and sub-counties in Kenya. It is through this Fund that students who are orphans have been able to go to school and a number of football or sporting activities are run across the constituencies. The same Fund has enabled institutions, which were hitherto not known to have been built in the country, to become very big national institutions such as secondary schools and colleges. There are many teachers training colleges and facilities in some of our local universities that have been put up by the NG-CDF. Without enumerating so many, I want to state that the Report that has been tabled this afternoon is quite informative and important. The Report has raised so many issues. On the issue of title deeds, I want to agree with Hon. Makali Mulu that many areas in this country have not been adjudicated and, hence, do not have title deeds. However, we cannot stop building schools just because those areas do not have title deeds. In the greatest expanse of the northern parts of this country, and even some parts of the pastoral regions, land is still communal. Therefore, we cannot rely on title deed as the only instrument to show that you have spent money on land where a title deed has not been issued. We know of public schools that are running, and which have been in existence for over 30 years without possessing title deeds for the land on which they stand. Another very important issue that has been noted in this Report is that the accounting officer, who is the fund account manager, has to be held responsible. There is no fund account manager who cannot prepare accounting documents and, therefore, this cannot be an excuse. It cannot be allowed. In any case, every expenditure has to be shown. There is supposed to be a record showing that money was spent on a particular item or project. All the documentation has to be put in place. I laud the Office of the Auditor-General and the Committee for pointing out that every fund account manager has to be held responsible if they do not produce the appropriate accounting documents. I want to urge Members to ensure that each and every officer makes sure that the documents are well prepared, and are produced when they are required for audit purposes. Lastly, on matters of the NG-CDF, I want to ask Members of the Senate to note that there is no competition in terms of popularity. Members of Parliament do not play any role in this Fund. In fact, our role has always been overseeing and making the NG-CDF as successful as possible. The fact that they do not have such a fund does not warrant them to say that the NG-CDF should be dissolved or discontinued. If the NG-CDF is discontinued, it will be to the detriment of the Kenyan people. Hon. Temporary Speaker, we have been together in this House for the last more than ten years. We have seen hundreds of thousands of schools constructed, courtesy of the NG-CDF. For instance, in my constituency, I used to have about 70 primary schools but today, we have over 130. I inherited the constituency when there were about 16 secondary schools but, today, we have The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}