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{
    "id": 1565518,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1565518/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 170,
        "legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
        "slug": "bonny-khalwale"
    },
    "content": "Reading through the Bill, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the National Assembly tends to overemphasize what the Government has called national interest. On another day, I will challenge either the Deputy President, because he was the first to speak to it, and these MPs, to tell Kenyans what exactly they mean by national interest. Are you saying that some of the functions done in county governments do not carry national interest with them? Really? Agriculture that feeds the Republic is a function of grave national interest. Therefore, counties should not be denied money on the assumption that there is a greater interest that is only discharged by the national Government. Similarly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the question of treating Kenyans and early childhood development education are matters of grave national interest done by counties and so on and so forth. We urge Members of the National Assembly to try and understand devolution better and appreciate that all of them come from one county or the other. That being the case, they should not, while making a decision on the actual quantum of what goes where, be tempted to think that they owe it to the national Government. When we are dividing revenue, all MPs; Members of the National Assembly and Senators, must ensure the proper principles of division of revenue between the two levels of Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I propose that this House rises and stands behind the proposed figures of division, where we propose that the county governments gets Kshs465 billion and the national Government gets Kshs2.231 trillion. If we do so, we believe, as the Committee of Finance and Budget that we shall have hit the balance and both levels of Government will be able to meet their development and recurrent mandate. As we divide this money, the national Government must know that the Kshs2.231 trillion that they are remaining with, when it comes to development, all the eight regions of Kenya must see equity. We are sick and tired when we go around the country where one region of Kenya is 100 years ahead of another region in this country. The only crime that the region which is 100 years behind is because a son from that region or from a community of that region has never risen to the presidency or the office of the Prime Minister. This bad behaviour of development following the region and community from which the top leadership of the country comes from must come to an end in the new Kenya. In the new Kenya, we want all our eight regions to enjoy development equitably. All sub-counties, 290 of them, 47 counties must, together with the eight regions of the Republic of Kenya, be seen to move at the same pace. We would like His Excellency President William Samuel Ruto and his Cabinet to hear us the people of Western Kenya clearly. We campaigned for him; we support him and we want to succeed, so that our country can succeed. The people of the western region, expect in this budget that for the first time since the creation of the country called Kenya to enjoy development equitably. Kenyans will enjoy the dual carriage when going home and coming to the capital city of Kenya. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}