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{
    "id": 1566176,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1566176/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 226,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "billion, yet there is a debt of Kshs26 billion. How are we going to resolve this debt? Are we going to compound debt over debt? We need to be realistic. In fact, this is why I differ with the Committee on Finance and Budget. If we already owed Kshs26 billion, yet they have proposed is Kshs7 billion. There is an additional Kshs2 billion. So, Kshs26 billion plus Kshs7 billion is Kshs33 billion. If you add another Kshs2 billion it will be Kshs35 billion, yet there is a sunset clause on this Equalization Fund. The Constitution is clear in terms of the Equalization Fund. Article 204 talks about the Equalization Fund and it sets a sunset clause for 20 years, which are lapsing soon. So, the question that I have not heard the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget responding to, or any of my colleagues, and I will seek some wise counsel from our colleague, Sen. Eddy, is what happens if we do not amend the Constitution to be able to extend the time of the Equalization Fund? The 20 years period is coming to an end? The money is yet to be released? Will this money be in a Fund which exists? These are questions that we must ask ourselves diligently and see where the problem is. How will we resolve this problem? On the issue of accountability, we are all complaining that projects are stalling. There are so many projects which the national Government has initiated. When it comes to the issue of Narok County, I want to be candid and clear on this. There is an airport which is the responsibility between both the national Government and the county government. I applaud my County Government of Narok and the Ministry of Roads and Transport because they have looked at issues to do with Article 187 of the Constitution in terms of a function which is for the national Government being undertaken by another level of government. They agreed that we need this service. If the national Government cannot afford it, we the people of Narok County, who we consider very rich, can afford to build the terminal. These projects must be completed. So, when we initiate projects, let us complete them. I want to call upon the Ministry of Roads and Transport and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to be on the site. I was there two days ago and I will be there again on Friday. I will be a thorn in your flesh to make sure that these projects are completed. That is the only way we will make sense. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, a couple of days ago, I listened to my colleague, Sen. M. Kajwang’. He raised a valid point by asking a very simple question. Why is it that when governors are exiting after serving a county for 10 yes, they launch a huge project which becomes a burden to the incoming governor? In Narok County, we had a similar problem with the hospital and the medical technical training college, which was officially opened by the President the other day. Save from that technical college, the hospital had to be taken over by the national Government because it was a project that could not be managed by the County Government of Narok. We had a similar case in Kakamega County where the Level 5 hospital, which was being built by the then Governor Oparanya, became a white elephant project that could not be completed. So, when it comes to the issue of accountability and financial management, all of us must be alive to the fact that there are limitations. There are things that we can do and there are things that we cannot do. 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."
}