Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1456557,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1456557/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 3947,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nandi County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Cynthia Muge",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It broke my heart to see Kenyatta University Referral Hospital that was supposed to benefit from the Cancer Centre that is supposed to help us reduce the number of people going overseas for treatment receiving a humongous cut. But looking at the winners of this particular Supplementary Budget, it portrays a very good picture of this Government that is paying attention to issues that are primary and important to this country. When you look at education, it has been able to get a lot of money in terms of the recruitment of the 20,000 Junior Secondary School teachers (JSS) as opposed to the narrative that we were all setting into, that since we did not have the Finance Bill passed, we cannot generate money to run this Government and, therefore, that will be the first casualty. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am happy that we have a responsible Government that sits down and weighs urgent and important matters. That is why 46,000 JSS teachers have been confirmed and 20,000 are going to be hired as interns. The young men and women of this country will not go without HELB loans. They will be able to access their money properly. We also have the issue of the school feeding program. I have my own reservations regarding how the program was implemented and the beneficiaries. But, that notwithstanding, I would be selfish to say no to it when someone will benefit, as we work on the structures to ensure that the implementation is not only fair but also targeted. I support and I am really happy that this program has gained. In the health sector, we are going to have the universal healthcare. It is a great beneficiary and has been allocated Ksh8 billion. The primary healthcare for emergencies and chronic diseases are also getting an allocation. But more importantly, if you look at livestock and co-operatives for dairy farmers, in as much as the Budget cannot accord Ksh2 billion to assist farmers get better milk prices, I am happy that we have Ksh1.5 billion to increase what they are currently getting. I cannot over-emphasize on the Cherry Fund being given to coffee farmers. As you have noted, Nandi County is the greatest and newest entrant to coffee farming. We hope to benefit from this. I am happy to see that this Supplementary Budget has retained Ksh1 billion allocation for sugar reforms. Of course, not to forget the fertiliser subsidy. I am a happy farmer and representative because our people will continue to produce and feed this country. I am especially happy because of NGAAF. As several Members have said in this House, NG-CDF and NGAAF are very important funds that touch the people on the ground. I am happy that this Government has seen the importance of those two Funds. If a budget cut has been inflicted on any of them, it is minimal. I appreciate the NGAAF money we receive because it helps us do affirmative action in our counties. This is a sincere budget rationalisation considering what was taken away and what was gained. That notwithstanding, we must deliberately shed the fat of public resource wastage to ensure that our people get better and timely services. There is an elephant in the room called disbursement. This is my seventh year in this legislative House. One thing I have been unable to crack is something called disbursement. It beats me that we budget and allocate a certain amount of money. Then, confirm through a Finance Bill, whether a current or previous one, that we can have funds. But at the end of the financial year, money is not disbursed to the line Ministries. It beats me. Parliament must speak to this and ensure that, at the end of every financial year, every single coin that is allocated serves the purpose it is meant for. We also have the elephant that is called non-expenditure or under-utilisation. It is sheer incompetence to be given a specific amount of money. Then, at the end of the financial year, amidst 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."
}