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{
    "id": 1521320,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521320/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 201,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Masinga, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joshua Mwalyo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this Equalisation Fund and Administration Bill, Senate Bill No. 14 of 2023. The Senate passed this Bill about a year-and-a-half ago, precisely 16 months ago. It was waiting for this House to debate, pass, and enact it into law. This Fund was established by Article 204 of the Constitution in 2010 and provided 1.5 per cent of the audited National Government Fund as the Fund to be used for the Equalisation Fund purposes. This Fund was meant to be an equaliser, as its name suggests: the Equalisation Fund. It is supposed to address areas that were marginalised through historical injustices. These areas were never considered. They did not have hospitals and little facilities like health centres. This Fund was meant to be an equaliser so that marginalised areas could have water and roads. Its purpose is very good. The country will be governed equally, and everybody will feel that they belong to this country. Some time back, I used to hear some people in this county say, \"When you go to Kenya, greet Kenyans.\" That meant they never saw any development in their areas compared to other parts of the country. As a result, they would say: \"When you reach Kenya, greet the Kenyans and tell them that we are still around.\" I do not want to mention the affected areas, although I used to hear much of that in our area. These are the areas that need to be developed so that they can catch up with other areas. I am sure we have seen many developments in some of the marginalised areas and how things have improved because of this Fund. The only undoing of this Fund is the Exchequer delays in releasing it. The delays happen until another Budget cycle is realised. However, the beauty of this Fund is that its money does not go back to the national Treasury. It is retained in the same way that the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) money is retained. Once the NG-CDF money is sent to the NG-CDF Board, it does not go back to the Treasury. This Bill has been crafted in the same way. The Fund will be administered in the same way. During the 2023/2024 Financial Year, my constituency was given an Equalisation Fund worth Ksh13.5 million. A hospital and a bore hole were earmarked for installation and implementation in different places. However, until now, monies from the Fund have not been sent to the account to be channelled to my Constituency. There are many delays in the disbursement of this Fund. We need to bring an amendment. This Fund is mainly for marginalised areas, like my constituency, which is the only such constituency in Machakos County. The Equalisation Fund money has never come up to now. This year's Equalisation Fund money has already been allocated. However, the money for the 2023/2024 Financial Year has not been wired to our constituencies. We can propose an amendment for the funds to be wired to the accounts of the NG-CDF through its board. That is a straightforward Fund managed by the Fund's Accounts Manager. The projects can be identified in the same way we identify our projects. That can be an easy way of implementing the Fund. If the Fund passes through the account commissioner, its money will get lost there. I do not know if it will be administered. We shall keep talking about this Fund. However, a further amendment will be required on how the money should be channelled and where it should be channelled so that areas budgeted for the Equalisation Fund are not disadvantaged for an entire year without its implementation. The Fund can be a good equaliser in some areas. When we go for the NG- 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."
}