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{
    "id": 1545639,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545639/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 194,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I have a lot of respect for the current Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. Mbadi. My prayer is that he will not go there and be surrounded by people who think that it was a mistake to create counties. I want to remind him that he intended to run for a county government position, that is the governor, before he came in as a nominated Member here. He should rearrange those people who serve in the National Treasury. We need people who are pro-devolution and will protect it. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Senate should be given an opportunity to nominate people who will be working as advisors in that Ministry. It seems the people who were presenting this BPS did not consult at all or care to hear the views of those of us who are in the devolution family. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, yesterday, there was a lot of hullabaloo from another member of the devolution family; the County Assemblies Forum (CAF). They were raising issues because some of the promises that were given in terms of financial emoluments that they expected are not reflected in this BPS. This means there are strategies that have not been prioritised. The promises to help our MCAs who have been degraded from job positions they used to have in the previous government are forgotten. An MCA serving in the previous election – 2022 - was earning better than the current one. We cannot celebrate when we see another member of the devolution family suffering. It is our responsibility to continue raising these issues because the National Treasury is not friendly to devolution. The National Treasury thinks that CAF should not be given any more money and that the devolution family is draining them. They do not think that when you increase funds or you take them to follow functions, it is an investment for this country. They think it is better to add more money to security or international relations, but not to the devolution family. We must call out the National Treasury for what it is. I fully support this report by our very able Committee under the leadership of Sen. Ali Roba, the Senator for Mandera County. We thank them because they have flagged out these issues which are on record. We need now to deliberately populate the National Treasury with people who think devolution is important. The National Treasury needs to be drained of workers who have grown up thinking that counties or members of the devolution family are not important or are a nuisance. You cannot devolve functions and not give money to the governors to execute those functions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I support."
}