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{
    "id": 1585519,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1585519/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 1019,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Samburu West, KANU",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naisula Lesuuda",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "As you have rightfully said severally, you were there during the Constitution-making process. The Constitution is a living document. As we implement it, we learn and see what the country needs to do progressively. The Senate and our county assemblies have seen this as one of the challenges. I know many Members here whose MCAs have reached out to me saying that when this Bill comes to the Floor of the House, we should support it. This is because they have noted that there is a big challenge when they have no autonomy over their finances and how they run and manage the resources that come to the county assemblies. It is quite demoralising when it is the Executive which allocates money. It is as if the assemblies are the qualms of the counties, so they have to wait for the Executive to determine how much money they will be given. It is as if they are begging for that money. However, as you rightly said, it will mirror what we have in Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Executive. We have also seen another challenge in our counties, where MCAs have to run around looking for the Ward Development Fund (WDF). And if you do not support that governor, you will not be given the WDF. It is akin to tokenism for the MCAs and what they are supposed to do. Most importantly, once they have their own resources, it will enable them to do their work more effectively. Just as we are facilitated here to execute our mandate in Parliament, when our county assemblies are well-resourced, their motivation and working methods will improve. That is what we expect to see from them once the Bill is passed and assented to. It is also coming in at the right time, when we are doing the budget process, and we just passed the Division of Revenue Bill. I therefore hope it can be expedited and assented to so that it can start working. With those very many remarks, I support."
}