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"id": 1474475,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1474475/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
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"speaker": {
"id": 170,
"legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, may I start by requesting the Senate Majority Leader that when he sees the disconnect that is there on matters of budget in the National Assembly, it invites him to talk to his compatriot, the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, that reduction would totally collapse the policy of the President and Government on critical areas if it was not properly listened to. The Members of the National Assembly are quick to accept the proposal from the National Treasury, not realizing that the key things that the President is carrying almost like his flagship issues will be affected if county governments do not get the Kshs400.1 billion. I will not go into dissecting issue by issue. My colleague in the Committee, the Senator for Migori County has already done so. Senate Majority Leader, next time, because this thing will come to pass again, let the National Assembly see that some of the policies of the President and Government are domiciled in the counties. The Kshs39.5 billion non-discretionary expenditure that will be at risk if we cut this money, is at the heart of the housing flagship project of the President. It will collapse. The county aggregated industrial parks and the voluntary community health promoters will collapse. What is even more scaring is the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was signed by the Ministry of Health with the doctors on behalf of county governments. A whopping Kshs5.8 billion in that CBA is supposed to be spent by county governments in paying salaries for those doctors. So, if we just blindly adopt that reduction, then the drama of deaths in hospitals and doctors on the streets will be the order of the day. So, it is out of respect that the Whip of the Government is opposing this Bill because we want those flagship issues that I have spoken to, to succeed. Number two, my brother, the Senate Majority Leader, the amendment of Section 5, which is in Clause 3, is extremely dangerous. This is because, as was ably mentioned by the Senator for Homa Bay; from 2013, we have always known that any shortfall in revenues realized, is borne by the national Government. Now, with this single amendment, it means that we shall be sharing. We adopt this new standard and, indeed, we will have watered down the ruling of the Supreme Court which that before any appropriation is done in the National Assembly, it should be preceded by the DORA. So, if we do not insulate by refusing this amendment, it means that now, that ruling of the Supreme Court, that helped us to protect funds from being tampered with during appropriation, will now be vulnerable. We do not want to lose that. I know I will continue the following day because as I can see my time is up, but let me make this last point. Tomorrow afternoon at 2.30 p.m. there will be a ruling on NG-CDF. I can assure you that the Supreme Court will find that thing unconstitutional. This year, in this Bill, NG-CDF is supposed to receive Kshs68.1 billion. So, there will be a floating Kshs68.1 billion tomorrow. They do not have to take away our Kshs20 billion from our county governments. Let them just allow Kshs20 billion to remain and then they can do whatever they want with the balance of Kshs48.1 billion that will be available tomorrow. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}