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"id": 195886,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Bahari",
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"legal_name": "Abdul Bahari Ali Jillo",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to support this Motion and, perhaps, agree with most of the Members who have spoken before me that, certainly, CDF was a revolution in terms of addressing community needs. This is a classic example, obviously, of how decentralisation can bring development within a very short time. Kenya, at Independence, was at the same level with some of the newly industrialised countries in South East Asia, but now we are far apart simply because of the development path that we took. We did all the wrong things while they did all the right things. Whether it is by design or it was accidental, now that CDF has now shown us the way, I expect those Members seated on the Front Bench to take the initiative to bring legislation to ensure that more funds are allocated to the CDF. In fact, time is gone when the Government was just watching what was happening and waiting for others to work for them. If that is what they are waiting for, then we are ready to bring in the necessary legislation. However, I think that it is in the best interest of the Government to ensure that necessary legislations are brought here. Hon. Members have raised the issues of allowances and administrative costs. I do not think we need to emphasise that, particularly those of us who come from the vast districts and remote areas of this country where sections of this legislation have been an impediment on the performance of the CDF Committee. It is urgent, on the part of the Minister, to move with speed. He should, perhaps, make this a clear agenda, since it is also about the Vision 2030. Since he is the Minister responsible for planning, he is supposed to be ahead of the rest to ensure that these changes are brought in without wasting a lot of time. That way, we will move forward and implement these projects. We must stop, as a nation, serving rules and regulations and move with speed to serve our people. It has become a habit and it is common to be told that this and that rule does not allow this and that. This is not acceptable! We are serving people who are needful. We must move with speed and amend those rules to ensure that our people are served well. That is the only way we can remain accountable. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I remember Mr. Kiraitu saying one time that he was going to take away the cheques and make sure that he issues them to his Committee personally so that projects can be implemented on timely basis. The District Development Officer (DDO), in accordance with the Act plays a fundamental role in payment and processing of cheques and other administrative matters on CDF. Sometimes these officers move from one workshop to another yet everybody waits for them to make approval for all expenditure. I do not think that is unacceptable. The Minister should move with speed to ensure that the office does not move to some hotel room in the name of a workshop and then the rest of the constituents are held at ransom. It is not fair to the taxpayers. 678 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 24, 2008 So, I would like to recommend that the DDOs must have assistants or there must be an alternate signatory to those accounts so that we all do not keep on waiting for them. Indeed, this is the same thing Mr. Okemo meant when he raised the issue of increasing the allocation to the CDF. I am surprised that most Ministers, when answering Questions in this House, will say that the CDF is there and Members of Parliament should utilise it. I think that is neither acceptable nor fair because the percentage allocated to the CDF is very small while what is allocated to Ministries is a lot. You cannot compare the two. Therefore, it looks like, though most of Government Ministers are also Members of Parliament, we are giving this money out grudgingly. That should not happen. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if more funds are allocated to CDF the Ministers would have more time to address policy issues and let people at the grassroots level supervise their own work, implement projects and ensure that they are served as required. Livestock is very key in pastoral areas. On many occasions, when we want to use the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), particularly after drought spell, to re-stock, we are told that the rules do not allow it. That is very unfair. This matter has been explained in detail. Hon. Members have repeated it. It is high time that we looked at it again and open it up, so that we serve the people and stop serving the rules. Finally, there has been a report on the application of the cost of living indices in relation to how the CDF is divided among constituencies. The Institute of Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has observed that the Ministry has used the wrong indices. The Minister himself being an expert, I would request that he looks into that matter. According to the IPPR report, the Ministry is using what is called \"contribution to rural poverty indices\" as opposed to poverty indices. Poverty indices is a different thing. In the process, constituencies have lost a lot. I request that the Minister digs into this matter and ensures that the anomaly is corrected. Justice must be done to those constituencies which have lost in that instance. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}