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"id": 20287,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/20287/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
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"speaker": {
"id": 158,
"legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Constituencies Fund Committee on the approval of Ms. Jennifer Naafula Barassa, Eng. Hillary Ntabo Nyaanga, Dr. Jane Nyawira Kabugi, Mr. Xavier Maina Nyamu, Mrs. Rosalia Shida Nyalle, Major Rose Mbula Kioko, Mr. Odongo Mark Okeyo, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Abass, Dr. John Ongege Wamakonjio and Mr. David Tito Kiprono Koross as members of the Constituencies Development Fund Board laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday 7th September, 2011. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I move fast, I want to plead with the House that we will retain these numbers if we are really serious with the business of this House, if not for the other purposes that we had come to do here. The CDF has made a major impact in this country in terms of socio-economic development in its stated purpose of fighting poverty and also, the other purpose of doing general development. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have continued as a House to strengthen the Board in order to put our resources in a more efficient and prudent manner as required by the CDF Act. If you remember when we started the CDF, it was managed by the Clerk of the National Assembly as the Chief Executive Officer. So, it had a lot of teething problems because also, there was a Committee managing it; the National Management Committee. Towards the end of the last Parliament, we thought it wise to amend the law so that we get a Board that is independent and functioning. This is a process of strengthening the institution in the way we manage the CDF to the extent now that each constituency has an account manager on behalf of the Board that is managing the CDF in consultation with the CDF Committee. I want to thank the Members of the Constituencies Fund Committee (CFC) for the dedicated commitment with our job. I can report without fear of contradiction that we have held many meetings. In fact, I think we take the trophy for the number of meetings we held in the House. These meetings are also some of the ones with the highest quorum you will ever get. We have hardly lacked quorum in our meetings. I want to thank the entire membership of my Committee for a job well done. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the composition of the Board has three components. The first has statutory offices of the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Attorney-General, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, and the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance. The second category, which we are considering, is where the Act allows certain organizations to appoint individuals to represent them in the Board. These are eight organizations. The Act has also provided for four other persons to be appointed by the Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, Mr. Wycliffe Oparanya, in order to consider that the nominees that have come through these other considerations will now be able to meet regional diversity, ethnicity and gender consideration. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to say from the outset that the outgoing Board did a wonderful job. They put systems and procedures in place. They have come up with a strategic development plan for the CDF Board and we have also been able to ensure that the CEO signs performance contracting. For any doubting Thomas, the fact that our CEO of the CDF Board has been appointed the Controller of Budget can only communicate one thing; that we have had a very effective CEO. This in effect means we have had an effective Board and it means that the CDF management has been extremely useful. I also want to take this opportunity to challenge the National Taxpayers’ Association. Even on their own admission where they have classified projects according to A, B, C, most of the projects of CDF on A and B categories in terms of complete, money well spent or money spent and incomplete on B, they still come to 95 per cent. I need the Executive to challenge me on even the performance of their own Ministries and the Government collectively, if they have ever realized that kind of percentage. I have no problem with the Executive kupinga. We will demonstrate how effective we are. It is for their own good. Let them try. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the CDF Board has a three year term. Therefore, the people we are considering for these positions will serve on a three year basis. I want to comment on the process. We decided that because the new thing within the constitutional framework is that Parliamentary Committees vet nominees, the Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 was able to submit the names to the Clerk of the National Assembly who then forwarded them to us in accordance with Section 27 (4) (b) of the CDF Act. This Section demands that the Committee will make recommendations before the names are approved by Parliament. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Committee met three times. These are the findings of our Committee. The Minister submitted 12 nominees according to the requirements. We were able to approve ten out of the 12. The ten are the ones that I have read. There were two nominees that we were unable to approve for your consideration on two accounts; one, we got an objection from the nomination organization that the nominee had not been submitted by them and so we wondered where the Minister got the name from. We have left it to the Minister because our job is not to deal with that. We have left it for the Minister to sort out and bring us the proper name. The second nominee has serious challenges in terms of what we considered was good enough for the Board. The Board is not just a depository of rejects. The Board is not only supposed to approve projects but also to think ahead on how CDF can make progress and impact in this country. It also failed on a fundamental issue of regional consideration."
}