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{
    "id": 1527212,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1527212/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 362,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kabondo Kasipul, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Eve Obara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. My colleague here is begging me to talk for a very short time so that he can also get a chance. At the outset, let me add my voice to support the Bill. The Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the disbursement of additional funds to county governments in Kenya. We know that these funds go beyond the equitable share as stipulated in the Constitution. These funds are supposed to go to specific projects or programmes that aim to enhance service delivery at the county level. We have given the money, but the biggest question is, where is the weakest link? We have a problem in some counties. Previously, municipalities raised their funds, paid their employees and ran programmes. We now have counties that are mirrored along the lines of the national Government. Where is the weakest link? It is the implementation of all the active programmes. We need to strengthen our control mechanism. There is a lot of wastage in most of the counties. The control mechanism seems not to be there, yet we have the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget who should make sure that resources are prudently utilised. Why do we have pending bills? Why do we have pending bills on programmes that have been budgeted for, and monies released or disbursed by the National Treasury? We are aware that the release of funds usually comes late and probably, that is why by the end of a financial year, we find that only less than 30 per cent has been used on development. That is not their problem. But when the money is finally released, what happens? Why then do we have those pending bills? Why can the governors not pay the suppliers for services rendered against the monies that they are given? We are not going to get into many details, but it is about time sanctions were put in place. Where a governor does not pay a supplier or pay for a service that has been rendered against a budget that was approved and money disbursed, the governor must be held to account and charged. This is why we have a lot of problems. People have been impoverished in counties and suppliers have died because they took loans against their properties that have been sold because of monies that were not paid for a service that was given. These are questions we must answer and think about as Legislators. We cannot continue giving monies that are not put into proper use. Thank you very much. Once again, I support, but with those conditions. We must look at the things that affect service delivery after monies have been released to counties. Thank you very much."
}