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{
    "id": 1451653,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1451653/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 265,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sirisia, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Koyi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2792,
        "legal_name": "John Waluke Koyi",
        "slug": "john-waluke-koyi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute to the debate on this important Report. I thank the Committee for the good work they have done. The work of the NG-CDF in this country is seen all over. It has done a lot of work. The money that constituencies get is very little compared to the money that county governments receive, which is in terms of billions of shillings. There is no single constituency that has received Ksh220 million, but you can see the work that has been done, including buying buses for schools. In my constituency, since I took over, I have managed to build 27 primary schools in addition to those that had been in existence during the time of Hon. Moses Wetang’ula as the Member of Parliament for Sirisia. Previously, we used to build dispensaries. There is no constituency or sub-county in this country where a county government can brag about having constructed a dispensary or health centre. The existing facilities on the ground were built through the NG-CDF before the health function was devolved. Some of the projects have never been completed by the county governments after the money was devolved. The incomplete projects are just there even though the money goes to county governments. The auditors should do a thorough job in terms of auditing the money that is disbursed to the county governments because its impact is not felt on the ground. We do not know what it does. We are just adding money to county governments every time they cry. For example, three years ago, they demanded money for sports, which we used to give to our children to facilitate them during games. Since that money was devolved, there has been a very big problem in the counties, sub-counties and constituencies. That is because the work of those people is to steal that money. There is a big impact of the NG-CDF money that we get. It can be accounted for and it has a structure. It has a positive impact everywhere. You will see a school or an administration office for a sub-county or a chief’s office. They are permanent structures. When you go around, you will be happy to see that, indeed, the NG-CDF is working. The work of a Member of Parliament is only to oversee the Fund. We do not have any role either as the chairman or something else. Our work is oversight. For a very long time, the Senate has lost focus. Their work is to oversee the use of the money that is allocated to the county governments. They have been taking the NG-CDF Board to court, seeking to remove the NG-CDF money, whose impact can be seen by every mwananchi. The Fund can pay bursaries for poor children who used to suffer. Where I come from, I pay school fees for 5,000 students. The county government can only disbursed fees in the tune of Ksh1 million per ward out of Ksh15 billion. Bungoma has 45 wards. That amounts to Kshs45 million. That is the amount of money that one constituency disburses. Last time, I disbursed Ksh60 million as bursary funds for students in universities, secondary schools and technical training institutes. So, you cannot compare. The Senate should check and oversee the use of the money that goes to the county governments. In the Report by auditors, there are schools which were there in the 1960s – even before some of us were born – but, up to now, they have no title deeds. It is not the work of the NG-CDF to chase after title deeds of schools that were built in the 1960s or 1940s. The NG-CDF came into being only the other day. The problem of title deeds has been there since Independence. A school may have a very small parcel of land whereas the community wants it expanded. Yet, they cannot 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."
}