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{
    "id": 1520203,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520203/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 194,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Rural, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Mwalika",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. At the outset, I support this Bill because it is very important. It seeks to provide for the administration structures for the management of the Equalisation Fund. Through this Bill, the Equalisation Fund Advisory Board and other committees will be formed. The Fund is supposed to be used to provide basic services like water, roads, health facilities and electricity. It is a pity that up to now, some areas do not have these facilities. One of the objectives of Sessional Paper No.10 of 1996 was to promote equal opportunities for all Kenyans. It is a pity, as we speak, 41 per cent of Kenyans do not have access to safe drinking water. Many people walk long distances to fetch water. For example, in my area, there are some places where people walk seven kilometres to the river. Going to the river and back is a whole day activity. One time, I visited some people in that area and they told me that getting children has become a problem because they wake up very early in the morning to look for water. There are some constituencies which do not even have a single kilometre of tarmac road and the murram roads are in dire condition. I think electricity connectivity is below 22 per cent which is very disturbing. When we went for devolution, we thought it would improve services in counties. It has also become a curse because funds are misused at the county level. It is like we devolved corruption to the county level. Therefore, the Equalisation Fund will supplement services which are provided by county governments. One of the good proposals in this Bill is the establishment or creation of an account at Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) for the Equalisation Fund. This will reduce the control of the Fund from the National Treasury. We know most of the funds have died because of the hard hand of the National Treasury of not releasing money to them. For example, we have a problem with the NG-CDF. We are remaining with four months to the end of the financial year, but we have not received all the money. If the NG-CDF money was deposited in an account in the Central Bank of Kenya, we could draw it from there, and therefore, reduce the funding challenges. This is a very important proposal. In the last few years, funds supposed to be disbursed to these areas were not remitted. I think they are owed over Ksh10 billion. I do not know when they are going to get that money. So, removal of the control of the Equalisation Fund from the 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."
}