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{
    "id": 1520332,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520332/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 323,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
    "speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1565,
        "legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
        "slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Members, I am told Parliament may today sit up to even past 9.00 p.m. Therefore, there is no hurry. Think through this matter. I will remind Members that this is not an ordinary Fund. Let us not seek to address the inequities in our budgeting distortion to be cured by an Equalisation Fund. I request Members to read what the term “marginalised communities” means, particularly its definition in Article 260(d) of the Constitution. I say that for the sake of Hon. Bady, who says that the Fund should be used in Mombasa. That Article states: “260. “marginalised community” means– (d) pastoral persons and communities, whether they are– (i) nomadic; or (ii) a settled community that, because of its relative geographical isolation, has experienced only marginal participation in the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole.” I imagine that is what Hon. Farah Maalim meant in his contribution. There are parts of Kenya where if you visit from Nairobi, they ask you, “How is Kenya?” because of their geographical isolation and marginalisation. There are matters we can address through our budget. Let us agree that despite having the authority to budget, we have not been doing very well. As a Member of Parliament, I should be asking, “What about Homa Bay?” The Member for Bomachoge Borabu should be asking the same. We have budgeted for funds that have ensured that some people have attained 100 per cent electrification. On the other hand, Hon. Kaluma, who sometimes presides over the Committee of Supply, represents a constituency with less than 30 per cent electrification, and yet Homa Bay Town is called a town and is the county headquarters. As representatives of the people, there are some issues that we can address through ensuring equity in budget. However, there are other issues for which this Fund was created, while some for which devolution was created. Let us not shift all our inadequacies to the Equalisation Fund, which is barely made up of 0.5 per cent of the revenues collected by the national Government. Hon. Joseph Tonui, I had recognised you to speak next."
}