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{
    "id": 1514162,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1514162/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 545,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ainabkoi, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Samuel Chepkong’a",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I am being assisted by Hon. Alice, who knows very well what she does in her Constituency, Thika Town. When I go for public participation, I do not sit with the NG-CDF officials but with the voters as a participant. I also identify projects that I think the NG-CDF must fund. Hon. Temporary Speaker, since you were involved in the matter and you presented it, we were asked at that time: “Are you sure that if I come to your constituency, I will not find schools named after Hon. Kaluma, funded by the NG-CDF?\". We told them to come, and that they would not find. However, they refused to come and yet, they still went ahead and stated that the Members of Parliament are active participants in the implementation of NG-CDF projects. I have never participated in them. I have not opened them. When they are being opened by the NG-CDF Committee, I go to hear what they are saying. I am very happy that they have done a good job. The only thing I do when I am around in the constituency is to play my oversight role under Section 95. As you know, the work of a Member of Parliament under Section 95 of the Constitution is oversight, representation, legislation and budgeting. We allocate resources but do not go and spend. No Member of Parliament here walks around with a cheque book or is a signatory of NG-CDF funds in any bank. We do not sit in the Board, neither do we appoint the fund managers. In fact, in its ruling, the High Court said that the term of the fund manager is tied to that of Members of Parliament. I do not know where they got that story from because it is not true. The fund manager is a permanent employee of the NG-CDF Board. He does not hold office for five years. Even if they hold office, they do so at the pleasure of the NG-CDF Board, and not at the pleasure of the Member of Parliament. There is a general misunderstanding by the Judiciary. Hon. Temporary Speaker, we have made various attempts as a House, and every time, the courts find a reason. This is the House which appropriates money. This House will pass constitutional amendments. What is lacking in the current Constitution? We have identified it as the NG-CDF, Senate Oversight Fund and NGAAF. We want the courts to stop interfering with those Funds by saying they are unconstitutional. When we appeared before a three-judge bench, we told them that NG-CDF bursaries have benefited many students. I did not know the young lawyers in the court were beneficiaries of the NG-CDF bursaries. Afterwards, they asked us why we did not call them to appear as The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}