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{
    "id": 1494963,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494963/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 89,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kisang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2263,
        "legal_name": "William Kipkemoi Kisang",
        "slug": "william-kipkemoi-kisang"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important to note that you were in the ‘Lower House’ together with Sen. Osotsi, Sen. Maanzo and I for close to 10 years. I believe you and Sen. Maanzo will look for a Member of the National Assembly to co-sponsor the Bill so that as soon as the Bill is passed in this House, you have someone who will champion it in the National Assembly. When you are in the National Assembly, you do not appreciate what the Senate does until you arrive here. It is important that we start engaging our colleagues. Let us look for someone who will champion the Bill in the National Assembly. We also urge our Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) across the country to lobby by talking to their Members of National Assembly to support this Bill so that they are liberated. I believe the MCAs are now watching. We have told them that as soon as the Bill leaves the Senate, they should talk to their Members of the National Assembly so that they all support the Bill unanimously. If there are any amendments, let them enrich the Bill and not water it down. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as my colleague, Sen. Osotsi, has said, there are challenges at the Controller of Budget (CoB). Sometimes when the CoB approves money to be sent to the counties or payments to be done at the counties, there are diversions of resources and money is taken elsewhere. That is why you see accrued pending bills across all our counties. There are business people who have died and others in depression or hospital because the counties are not paying them. It is important that we ensure the CoB puts in a proper system. This will ensure that if resources are approved on an item, the county treasury will not be able to divert and pay others. Sometimes, they overstate their own source revenue at the counties and advertise many tenders. Instead of having pending bills on their own source of revenue projects, they decide to divert funds and pay their friends using their sharable revenue. It is important that the CoB put in place a watertight system and liaise with the National Treasury on the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) so that anything that has already been approved in IFMIS is not diverted. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Clause 109C states that all receipts, savings and accruals to and the balance of the County Assembly Fund at the end of each financial year shall be retained in the County Assembly Fund and applied in accordance with the Constitution and the Act. We are going on accrual accounting. It means, come 30th June every financial year, if there is still money in the account, the money is rolled over to the next financial year. The county assemblies will have to re-budget the resources that have remained as a balance in the accounts so that they do not have to send money to the County Revenue Fund (CRF). The other very important thing in this Bill is the need to open the County Assembly Fund account at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In the recent past, the county executives have opened several accounts in commercial banks. The Public Finance Management Act is very clear that all county accounts must be opened at the CBK. It is also good to remind them by putting it in law. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a very progressive law that will liberate our MCAs. They will now will be able to do their work properly without going to beg at the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}