Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1571736,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1571736/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 242,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Wajir West, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Yussuf Farah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I do not want to debate with Governors who claim these specific Funds should be abolished or taken off from the records. Even if this money is taken back by the National Government today, it will not be allocated to the county governments. Why? This is because NG-CDF functions are very clear and distinct. NG-CDF and NGAAF do National Government functions, specifically education, security and energy. If these Funds are abolished, where will the Governors and county governments get money to fund the gap? If they are able to do it, they could have done it now. Education and security are not devolved functions. The people who are advocating for the removal of these Funds do not understand what the person at the grassroots level feels about it. These are people who are able to pay school fees for their children, and do other things that NG-CDF does for Kenyans. As much as we argue whether we entrench the Funds or not, we need to understand the following: 1. Are these funds meant for specific Members of Parliament? 2. Are the funds being used by Members of Parliament for their own gains? We all know these funds are used for a specific purpose by a Board. The Members of Parliament do their oversight role, which is to confirm and make sure that money is used appropriately or in the right way that is required by law. Some Kenyans believe that these funds are used by Members of Parliament which is neither here nor there. It is hot air. They know it, but they do it because they do not want these funds to go to the village level. Today, if we say that we abolish these Funds, what will happen to the people of Wajir West? What will happen to the schools from the remotest places in this country? The schools that could not get any infrastructure development funding from the national government since inception. Their only source of funding is NG-CDF. There is no school in Wajir West that was not either built, or equipped by NG-CDF. That clearly shows that this money is doing exactly what the two levels of government were supposed to do. It would be very unfair to the people of Wajir West if these Funds were removed. On behalf of the people of Wajir West, I want to say on record that these Funds should be entrenched into the Constitution. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have seen some busybodies, I call them so, because they always run to the courts to challenge whatever is good for this country. It is unfortunate that even those who are at the corridors of justice or courts to challenge the legality of these Funds, come to Members of Parliament or go to the NG-CDF committees to request for bursaries. That includes the judges. They go to the NG-CDF committee in their constituency to request for funds and in that same place they are here ruling against the legality of these Funds. Everybody knows, whether these Funds support the people of Kenya properly or not. What we need as a House--- I can see Members of Parliament are not around today. I urge everybody to come so that we can attain two thirds. Most of the Members of Parliament should come and vote. I withdraw before---"
}