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{
    "id": 1502679,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502679/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 111,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to say that I do not support this mediation report. As you are aware, this House approved Kshs400 billion to go to the counties. However, the National Assembly, which is never mandated to take care of the interests of the counties, reduced that amount by Kshs20 billion. The Mediation Committee agreed on Kshs387 billion, cutting short Kshs13 billion to the counties. I will give my reasons, borrowing heavily from the President’s State of the Nation Address in the National Assembly. At paragraph 18, the President said that- “Tax revenues have grown by 11.5 per cent in June, 2024, reflecting the success of our tax base expansion measures. The economy continues to grow steadily, recording a 5.6 per cent growth rate in 2023, among the highest globally. We project five per cent growth this year and 5.6 per cent in 2025.” If tax revenues have grown by 11.5 per cent, why cut the amount of money that is supposed to go to the counties by Kshs13 billion? If you read the report by the committee on consideration of the Division of Revenue Bill, they state that the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, 2024, was an unprecedented event and has implications on Government finances. This occasioned a shortfall in projected revenue collection by Kshs346 billion. The President said that there was a tax revenue growth by 11.5 per cent, yet the committee says there was a shortfall. Sometimes when you are accused of telling lies, it gives us a hard time knowing who to believe and what to accept. The shortfall that the committee is implying was negated by the President himself. My question is, why do we reduce the amount that goes to the counties? Article 96 of the Constitution requires us to take care of the interests of our counties; both the governments and the people. I do not understand why Senators, who we sent to the Mediation Committee, agreed to the reduction. Actually, we could have asked for more. Paragraph 29 of the President’s speech says- “Counties have struggled with shortages of medicine, equipment and staff, hindering service delivery and leaving countless Kenyans with sub-optimal access to health care.” From his speech in Parliament, His Excellency the President is aware that the counties are struggling yet the committee is not in line with what the President is trying to achieve or they are coming up with their own figures. On paragraph 29, the President goes on to say- “It would have been easy for me to step back and leave this responsibility to counties alone, but that would have been a disservice to Kenyans and a betrayal of our Constitution.” The President is aware that there is shortage and he cannot sit back and leave the responsibility to the counties alone. Why would a committee of this House reduce the money that goes to the counties, yet it has been made aware that there is struggles and 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."
}