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{
    "id": 158259,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/158259/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 86,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ogindo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 120,
        "legal_name": "Martin Otieno Ogindo",
        "slug": "martin-ogindo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for this opportunity. I rise to support. I have no option. Looking at the figures brought here by the Minister, I can see an increase in expenditure. There is an increase in Recurrent Expenditure of Kshs16 billion and a saving of Kshs15 billion, giving a net expenditure of Kshs722 million. I also see a net saving from the Development Vote of Kshs1.7 billion. I also see a net saving in the CFS of about Kshs7 billion. In total, there is a total saving of Kshs8.1 billion. That is a good reason in the Budget for support. When I combine that with Appropriations-in- Aid, I see a total increase in the Budget of Kshs1.7 billion, giving us up to a total budgeted figure of Kshs761 billion for this financial year. Mr. Speaker, Sir, having said that, I want to record my disappointment with the failure to assent to the Fiscal Management Bill. As you are aware, we have figures that amount to billions. As we debate here, we are supposed to approve these figures. The responsibility on us is that of approval and oversight. I stand here as the Chairman of the Budget Committee and I have only ten minutes to contribute. It is impossible to make a sensible contribution. Parliament has a role of scrutinizing the Budget. Between the time this Budget was laid on the Table of this House and the time its approval is sought, it is practically impossible to effectively scrutinize it. When I go through the changes in the Budget, I see changes in the Department of Defence (DoD). One wonders why the figures were brought in the first place and yet we know that the DoD has been very poorly managed of late. They are just in the barracks as we face threats from our neighbours across the borders. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to go to CFS; I see a number of debts that had been proposed for settlement. Fortunately now, most of these debts have been removed from the Budget. The question one asks is: What was the wisdom of putting them in the Budget in the first place and what is the reason for removing them now? One is persuaded to think that those loans are being removed from the Budget because of the noise that has been made, questioning their authenticity. This House needs to involve itself a lot more in the Budget-making process. It is against that background that you may recall, in the Fiscal Management Bill, we had a provision that was asking the Minister for Finance to ensure that he places before this House a Budget Policy Statement in good time so that we are able to see what is contained in the Budget. Another provision in that Bill requires continuous reporting. It is because we do not get continuous reporting on the Budget execution that we find ourselves caught in a hard place like we are today. Looking at the Budget, you will see that there is a very huge deficit. The assumptions that were made initially do not seem to be withstanding the test of time. The only reason that we relied on those assumptions is because they were brought so late in time that we had no time to question them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to say today, that the Budget is the single most important programme in a country. Nothing can happen in a country without money. We look upon the Minister for Finance to ensure that we have a macro equilibrium in this country. At this point, I wish to say that one of the macro-economic factors that this country has to look at very closely is political stability. This is a factor that has affected our economy so adversely without us knowing. We want to look at this Budget so that it is made in a way that will ensure political stability and peace. I say that because one of the reasons why we have political tension in this country is because of inequality. We can only use the Budget"
}