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{
    "id": 1545741,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545741/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 46,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "Speaker, specific instructions were issued to the Committee on Health to bring all those stakeholders on board to that conversation. When I was speaking that day, I was not aware, that the Committee of Health of this House, that same day, had--- I remember seeing on the news that they gave certain deadlines to the Ministry to clear arrears of salaries for these county health workers and Universal Health Coverage workers. I want to tell the Senate Majority Leader that I am happy there are things we are doing, as a House, to assuage the situation. We are not just paying lip service. On the question of court fines, I know why Nairobi City County is blank. That is because there was an agreement with the Judiciary that they should give us back our county courts. Therefore, you might not find allocations of money out of court fines for Nairobi. However, I agree with Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale that there needs to be greater transparency in disclosures from the National Treasury on amounts of money that are collected in terms of court fines originating out of enforcement of county legislation. If you look across the country, you will note that Nairobi City County is notorious because many people are arrested on a daily basis for violation of bylaws. There is even hue and cry in the manner in which they are treated. If you go to the city court, even today, you will find that it is full of people who are being charged with various violations. It is true that we need greater disclosures from the National Treasury on these amounts. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hope that we will have a view of the report in order for us to see how the other matters have been treated. I honestly believe it is unfair that we have kept counties awaiting these resources for such a long time because of a dispute amongst leaders. During the mediation on Division of Revenue Bill, we agreed on certain basic things. First, we said that there does not exist a Kenyan who belongs to the national Government and one who belongs to the county governments. Secondly, we said that if a bridge over a river collapses due to floods, the ordinary user of that bridge does not care who comes to repair it or the source of the funds that will be used to repair it. All they want is the bridge repaired. Therefore, as leaders, we should not have a situation where a standoff between the Council of Governors and the National Assembly results in such a situation. That includes the donor-funded projects. They should not stop. We cannot have them, for example, stop because of what is going on in the United States of America. This money is needed to support healthcare in our counties. With those many remarks, I support the Report of the Committee and hope there will be resolution on the remaining or pending matters to do with the Road Maintenance Levy Fund. I thank you, honourable Speaker."
}