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{
    "id": 1613808,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1613808/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 227,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It is this proposal, ensuring that you have it in the formula, that at the very minimum should anything happen, it is not possible to devolve less than Kshs387 billion to the counties plus all these other billions that are over and above it. I am a firm supporter of the baseline allocation ratio because it ensures that counties maintain what they had already secured and the basis upon which they had done their budgets for the previous fiscal year. For example, as we are now doing this the month of June, counties are also working on their budgets. County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) are just about to read the budgets before the county assemblies and finalising on all the proposals. The plans and the question at the moment is what is likely to come out of this discussion and mediation exercise between the Senate and the National Assembly. To guide them, at the very least, they are certain that given the formula that the Senate is discussing and the use of this baseline ratio, they know there is a particular amount below which they cannot get. I am a firm believer in ensuring that we should not move below what we had already agreed upon. Even those of us that will be in this House, when the Senate considers the fifth and the sixth and the seventh generation formula, I hope will keep with this tradition. When they read the notes and the HANSARD of the thoughts that went into the deliberation of the second, third or the fourth formula, they will appreciate the wisdom of colleagues that came ahead of them and ensure that we always look at what had already been agreed on. I applaud the Committee's decision to keep up with the tradition that was set in this House in the Third- Generation Formula of ensuring that we have the baseline allocation ratio as part and parcel of our formula. I move to the population index and we are using the 2019 population survey. I think I heard somebody, I do not know if it was Sen. Sifuna yesterday wondering what is going to happen to parts of that exercise that have been challenged in our courts of law. I guess that is for others to determine and other competent institutions, but we know for a fact that affected a very small part of the country. Not to say that the citizens that live in that corner of the country are less important. I appreciate that they continue to weight population index at 45 per cent. It is a fairly huge figure, but we must appreciate that at the end of it all, when all is said and done, these services are being sent out to people. Therefore, any county that is densely populated, such as the one that I come from, should not be disadvantaged. We just came from the county of Sen. Moses Kajwang’ for Madaraka Day. With all the energy that they have and all these colleagues that come from densely populated counties, should not be disadvantaged. All these so-called devolved services are a factor of human beings. If you have more people in your county, then you need a higher percentage of resources to ensure that, for example, there is delivery of drugs in hospitals, pay health workers and employ agricultural extension officers. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am a firm believer in the weight of population being maintained as the highest. It has been granted the highest weight at 45 per cent. I know there are connotations here and there. Last time when we did the Third-Generation Formula there was a conversation about counties that are least populated. In fact, people, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}