Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1505567,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1505567/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okoiti Omtatah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "There have been arguments that our county officials; governors, speakers, clerks and members of the National Assembly are misappropriating funds. Therefore, they should not be funded. Let us not mix two things. There is no enforcement. Where do they misappropriate funds? Article 226(5) says- “(5) If the holder of a public office, including a political office, directs or approves the use of public funds contrary to law or instructions, the person is liable for any loss arising from that use and shall make good the loss, whether the person remains the holder of the office or not.” Let that Article of our Constitution be implemented. Let us not get into this argument that is essentially brown up and be specific. Which is that counties are misappropriating the money they get? Yes, they are misappropriating the money they get and the law must take its course. This is a challenge to our law enforcement, the EACC, DCI, judiciary and others. Let them step up to the plate and make sure that rogue governors, speakers and any rogue county official are held accountable for the money that the counties lose. Also, going forward, in terms of public funds utilised by counties, accounting officers should appear before the committees of Parliament, not just the governor. The Auditor-General should ensure that these accounting officers present their accounts by the 30th of September. By the end of September, they will have presented their accounts to the Auditor-General. Then, by the 30th of October, the County Executive Committee Member(CECM) of Finance presented their global statements to the Auditor- General. Generally, you will find that most audit reports refer to the global report of CECM Finance and hardly refer to any reports that the various accounting officers of the various entities in the county governments delivered. We should get to a point whereby it is not only the governors that we put to task, but we should also put to task these accounting officers to explain how they utilise public funds. So, this blame game that goes on that counties are dysfunctional does not come up. That way, maybe the hearings before the Committee on County Public Investment and Special Funds (CPICSF) and the Committee on County Public Accounts (CPAC) will trace the money to the real people who signed off the cheques other than the person who has political responsibility being the governor. So, I would really plead that we should grill the governors and the accounting officers of the various county departments to account for how money is used. That way, we shall go deeper into the counties and demand accountability for cash from each department, not just waiting for the governor's political responsibility. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg this House to reject this report so that we can go back to the position whereby we had already passed the DORA. If there should be any adjustments, they should come from the budget of the national Government and not the budget of county governments. This is because it is the national Government that is holding a lot of money that belongs to counties. For example, in agriculture, a lot of money is still held in Nairobi. They have not devolved functions. Farmers are not 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."
}