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{
"id": 1570383,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1570383/?format=api",
"text_counter": 274,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "In Uasin Gishu, it will cost Kshs1.5 million. Why? The terrain in Elgeyo Marakwet is so hilly. There are hills and valleys. To construct a kilometre of road in Elgeyo Marakwet might take two to three weeks. To construct a kilometre of road in Uasin Gishu will take less than three hours. We must appreciate that these counties have very unique challenges. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you go to a county like Lamu, for you to access Lamu from Nairobi, you need to cross the ocean. The people of Lamu are not less privileged. They must get services, roads and a transport network to access the rest of Kenya, like all other Kenyans. If you go to a county like Tharaka-Nithi, a good percentage of Tharaka-Nithi is ASAL. It has been marginalised from independence. If we want to bring development across the country in a fairly equitable manner then we, as a House, should be in the forefront of making sure that the so-called small counties get additional allocation. Whether it is going to be affirmative action or whatever formula is going to be applied, let us have those counties getting a minimum of Kshs6 billion. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you look at health facilities in Elgeyo Marakwet, Lamu, Vihiga, Tharaka Nithi and the others that we call small counties; they almost have a similar number of health facilities as the rest of the counties. Every health facility regardless of the number of people who patronize it requires the same number of human resources. If you upgrade a facility to Level 3 and the requirement for a Level 3 is that you must have 10 nurses, five clinical officers and two laboratory attendants, it does not matter whether that health facility is in Elgeyo-Marakwet, Lamu, Tana River, Uasin Gishu or Nairobi. If we want to provide quality, affordable and accessible health care, we must provide that number of human resources required. Therefore, these counties that we call small will suffer an irreparable damage, especially now that the county and the Government is rolling out Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and is trying to make sure that every Kenyan, regardless of their geographical location, can access quality and affordable health care. If these counties are not supported, they will have a huge problem in coping with the rollout. I, therefore, persuade my colleagues in all the other counties to agree to re- look this formula with a view of making sure, that the least amount of resources that will go to any county is Kshs6 billion. Madam Temporary Speaker, having said that, there is now need to use existing Government entities to check on the funds that have been given under affirmative action in order to assess the impact, so that it informs our decision in the next development of the formula. If you look at the parameters like the poverty index, a couple of counties have got huge allocations by virtue of that parameter. It is time we asked ourselves; out of the money that was sent to those specific counties under the poverty index, has there been any improvement reducing the poverty levels in those counties? In order to boost the oversight of Senate and all the other entities involved in accountability measures, including our county assemblies, it is time we got an integrated financial management system that allows you, as a Senator of the county and"
}