Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1476078,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1476078/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 467,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "I do remember the allocation of Kshs401 billion was historic. A billion past the Kshs400 billion mark. However, as we pass this historic mark, we must also come strongly and put mechanisms in place that ensure that money does not go to waste. It is the role of this House; it is the responsibility of this House, as much as we are denied adequate resources to ensure that we do effective oversight. We must condemn the things that these governors are doing. Today in the morning, I read an article about counties that have blown hundreds of millions of shillings with foreign travel. You are left wondering, what is the similarity between our counties and the country of Singapore that every county government insists on taking MCAs to benchmark? It is time we are called to be rational spenders. As much as we know that we raise this money through revenue collected from the taxpayers, we must stand for our people so that they can get value for money. It is high time that this House started to name and shame those counties that are blowing billions of shillings with foreign travel. Those who are blowing millions of shillings through tea and mandazis, as has been said by my colleague. It is time we shame and name them. It is time that as we push through with austerity measures, it must go down to the county governments. Why would someone want to take a whole county assembly to Arusha, Tanzania, to do training, when they can get that training here locally? As I sit down, I want to urge my colleagues and as we push for Kshs401 allocation to our counties, let us open our eyes and move with speed, so that we ensure that we leave a mark as the Senate that ensured prudent utilisation of public resources. We must ensure this is done in a way that will be effective, especially in the health, agriculture and other sectors, so that we leave a mark and a huge footprint in this country. I want to commend the Standing Committee on Finance for a job well done. It is time that we stand for what is right. This country must stand for what is right. As we do so, Senators must put their best foot forward and say that we protect devolution as much as we protect the implementation and utilization of the resources that are allocated to the county governments. I support the amendments as proposed by the committee."
}