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{
    "id": 1495004,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1495004/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "level just joined the county executive and worked hand-in-hand with them as if they were the same thing. As the devolution family, we have all along sympathised with the county assemblies of this Republic. Each month, when the county treasury received funds, it was time for the speaker, clerk and chairperson of the Budget Committee to line up. It was only the county treasuries led by the CECMs for Finance who had the key to unlock for county assemblies to get their monies. It is in that regard that I support this Bill. In making county assemblies to have their funds, we will only be strengthening separation of powers. MCAs oversight the executives, play a representation role of their wards, and also do legislation. How can they accomplish these constitutional functions if they do not have and are not in control of their monies? Even during budgeting process in the counties, county assemblies are on the receiving end. They have to negotiate with the executives on how much they will be given. It appears that county assemblies only accept what they are given by the executives. Therefore, I support that amendment. I agree with the Senate Majority Whip. Let us not have the clerk as an administrator. These funds should be run by the board as constituted in the county assembly. I would like to add my voice on this. The clerk should be given a functional role. Precisely they should be the accounting officers of the money rather than have them as administrator. In having the clerk as an accounting officer, we will be giving a function to the office, of course overseen by the board. The board will have a macro role in the running of the funds, but functionally, the clerk will be the accounting officer who will be answerable to the board. As the accounting officer, they will perform all the functions that have been laid down, including ensuring that the funds are not overdrawn. Earlier on, there was a discussion about the CoB. The question I keep on asking myself, which I also used to do when I was working in the county government, is why the CoB devolved some functions. Some counties now have an officer called the County Controller of Budget. If that is the case, why do officers of the counties still travel to Nairobi to get the same approvals if the County Controller of Budget has approved? He duly works on a day-to-day with the county treasuries and oversees the running of funds in the sectors of the county. Why then do we still have the CECM of Finance or the Chief Officer of Finance or the county accountant camping at the National Treasury or at the Office of the Controller of Budget (CoB)? One of the laudable Clauses we have is that the county assembly having got those funds will make financial reports to be submitted to the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) and, of course, you have stated that it should be copied to the CoB. I support this because these are good practises in good governance. This means that the initial requests that the county assembly made can be compared by these constitutional commissions and ensure that the guidelines are being followed. I also support that the clerk who should then be an accounting officer, may authorise a staff to incur expenses, following the guidelines as stated in the Bill. 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."
}