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{
    "id": 1460717,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1460717/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 269,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Murugara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Absolutely. Thank you very much. I beg to support the Bill. We must face the reality now. We are living in very difficult times. We have to think prudently about what exactly we are going to do so that the governments can run. The 2024/2025 Financial Year Budget allocated Ksh400.1 billion to county governments. Regrettably, the Finance Bill of 2024 fell through. In essence, it means the three Arms of Government and county governments have to tighten their belts. Expectedly, we have to cut on allocations. This is why we implore county governments to bear with the Ksh20 billion cut that they have to suffer. The same has honourably applied to the Executive, this House and the Judiciary. These cuts do not mean that county governments cannot provide essential services or pay recurrent expenses. Possibly, the Ksh20 billion would have gone into pay rises which must now be frozen. Counties must also ensure that unnecessary travels to seminars, benchmarking, or to wherever county governments have to go are cut. Expenses on vehicles and personnel must go down. We know very well that our county governments are often extravagant. There is a hue and a cry out there that while the work that is done by the NG-CDF is visible, not much can be said about county governments. It is high time county governments lived to their expectations to ensure that the citizens there get the services they deserve. We know very well that there is an employment embargo in place. The Government will not employ. County governments should also adhere to this. That, notwithstanding, we have natural attrition that we must always fill so that there is no vacuum. We have surpluses, if at all realised. If those are shared equally, the burdens that arise from this must also be shared equally. County governments must live with the cuts. 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."
}