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{
    "id": 145334,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/145334/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 401,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Three, the Accounting Officers should only factor in the Budget donor-funded projects in which the respective donors have made serious commitment. Finally, the Accounting Officers should ensure that projects are prioritized in order to be in line with the Government budgetary plans and donor agreements where laxity, negligence and incompetence by officers is established to have caused under- expenditures or under-collections, such officers should be severely disciplined. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is not a laughing matter because our country is currently gripped with an outbreak of cholera. How many in this House have made an effort to treat a victim of cholera? It only costs Kshs170. It is very cheap! But because of this kind of behaviour in the Ministry where funds are not collected or utilized, there is not enough money to have Kshs170 at the ready for the MOH in Turkana South District to treat people who are faced with this challenge. It is a big shame! Also under this Ministry of Health, we found serious financial irregularities under the cost-sharing fund. Our Committee noted that there was either week or lack of proper accounting records and internal controls, leading to mismanagement of cost-sharing funds in various hospitals countrywide. Our Committee recommends the following: The Accounting Officer should be held responsible for lack of proper accounting records and internal controls in the health facilities. Two, the officers responsible for the mismanagement should be surcharged, owing to the revenue that has not been accounted for. Three, the Attorney-General should undertake to pursue the culprits with a view to recovering the outstanding amounts. Finally, the Accounting Officer should liaise with other stakeholders and review the cost-sharing policies with a view to streamlining its operations and sealing any existing loopholes. It must not be lost on Members that the medical superintendent at the cost sharing facility, more often than not, is usually the only doctor in that hospital. So, how do you expect him to see patients, go to labour ward, and go to theatre, carry out operations and reconcile cost-sharing funds? This is something which cannot work. It was recommended by none, other than Mr. Thomas Mwadeghu who comes from one of the most abused district hospitals, Wundanyi District Hospital, who is an accountant by profession, that this system should be re-looked at, so that if cost-sharing cannot work, we should not punish poor parents who end up enriching officers who, in the first place, did not saw any seeds from which they wish to reap. We identified the following key issues under the Ministry of Local Government. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government was here but he has gone away. However, we are cleverer than that. This House has been clever by creating the Local Authorities and Funds Committee. So, the scrutiny will be on the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government who has refused to be here. I am hoping that hon. Mwadeghu, who was a Member of our Committee and felt the pain that we went through as we fought for this watchdog committee, will be allowed by other Members of that Committee to become the Chair of that Committee so that he calls the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government as the first witness to account for this kind of rot."
}