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"content": "917 years to come. In various areas where the CDF has been put to good use, we have not only seen the ceasation of harambees, but Kenyans are also saved the agony of participating in those Harambees. Some money would have been raised not through school fees or by getting levies that would have been charged for various development of schools. Looking at what the committee has raised, there are only a few grey areas that we need to discuss further. I am glad that certain Members of Parliament have seen it fit to oppose the transfer of the host Ministry from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Regional Development. These are consolidated funds. They are based at the Treasury. Therefore, it is important that the Treasury remains the host Ministry. Whether I am in that Ministry or not, I strongly feel that the rightful home for these funds is the Treasury. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the second issue is on the National Management Committee (NMC). I know that the Chairman has spoken about the National Management Committee passionately. As I said, at the start of everything, there are difficulties. There were, probably, a few things that did not go well. It is in the interest of this House that the NMC remains. It is in the interest of this House that we have a committee that works for us and that the Select Committee remains a watchdog of that committee and the CDF activities. I am sure when we discuss the proposals further we will be able to agree on this, that for our protection as Members of Parliament and for the good of articulation of what we are doing; and the dissemination of information of the CDF to members of public, the NMC should remain. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there has been the issue of the percentage and I know that is very dear and critical to Members of this House. At the moment, what is there is 2.5 per cent. When we started, the percentage was based on gross revenue which was nearly Kshs180 billion. The 2.5 per cent of today's gross revenue is based on nearly Kshs300 billion. So, there is an upward impact on percentages. Members of Parliament have questioned the rationale of 97.5 per cent and the need to cut into that. With free education, the education budget went up. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Road and Public Works control over 60 per cent of the 97.5 that is left after CDF. Despite all that, we are ready to sit down with the Committee and see how we can negotiate on a percentage. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, our view is that we should look at taking the percentage up with a view of having the minimum that it can ever be. We feel that we can have a minimum percentage which is not 2.5, but which we can discuss with the Committee. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in discussions of the percentage, we also take cognisance of the fact that Section 48 of the Constitution requires that anything that would be charged to the revenue is given approval by the Executive, so that when we agree with the committee, we are able to come up with a Bill that has already been consented to by His Excellency the President. Regarding the amendments that have been put there, there are a few issues which show conflict of interest, especially when you look at checks and balances. If you look at the Financial Management Act, there are a few contradictions between it and what is put here. We feel that those are issues that we could discuss with the committee. There are also small issues like having recurrent budget for the committee that we need to look at, so that we do not transfer certain laws to the committee that should not otherwise be transferred. But overall, we feel that we support the adoption of this Report and we would like to sit down with the committee and discuss. I know that some hon. Members have talked about 7.5 per cent and some have talked about 5 per cent. I do not think that we would differ much with the committee when we sit down and look at the reality. We believe that we would be able to come up with a minimum percentage that can be there to ensure that in future, if we have to discuss any other upward mobility, with that minimum which is already set, then we could be able to agree without having to amend the Act. 918"
}