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{
    "id": 1566219,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1566219/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 269,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Korir",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I want to touch on the recommendation that has been spoken to by two stakeholders: the submission by the County Assemblies Forum (CAF). The CAF's concern is the issue of underfunding by the national Government. The underfunding has undermined some of the legislative role of the county assemblies such as oversight and representation. It has affected committees which are supposed to assist in fiscal accountability. We have been fighting to ensure that counties deliver their services. The PFM Act mandates the counties to use their resources prudently, but the challenge that we have in the counties is late remittance by the national Government. Late remittance has made the counties to increase their debt. They are also unable to deliver on their mandates and cannot deliver services on time. We are fighting for the resources to go to the counties, but it is a constitutional mandate that the counties are to be given 15 per cent of the total budget. As I speak right now, the allocation that that has been given to the counties is still far below the requisite percentage. The Kenya Devolution Civil Society Organization have raised a concern. They have said that the amount we are giving to the counties in this financial year is far below the 15 per cent that we are supposed to give to the counties. This means that a number of things that the counties want to undertake cannot be actualized. Remember, there are some functions that have been given to the counties by the national Government such as the industrial parks, youth and women empowerment programmes and housing. I believe the counties should be given enough resources for them to counter-fund the projects that are supposed to be undertaken by the national Government. So, it will be prudent for this House to find a way of getting the fair minimum percentage that is supposed to go to the counties. I know we have the 15 per cent, but there are increasing demands on the county governments. This is because some of the functions of the national Government have been devolved to the county governments. We need to set a fair minimum that will help the counties to deliver."
}