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    "id": 357937,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/357937/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 230,
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    "content": "governors will go to that Ministry and beg for the money, the way the chairmen and mayors used to do. This is because the Constitution says that the two governments are distinct. The National Treasury is supposed to put the money that is meant for the county governments directly into the county accounts. So, the allocation of Kshs84 billion to the Ministry of Devolution and Planning should have been transferred to the county governments to enable them run their counties. Hon. Deputy Speaker, having said that, the Bill has not given us comparative estimates in the sense that it is only using historical figures. They have used the figures that the Government has been collecting in the last three years. They are supposed to give us comparative estimates and tell us how much the Government expects to collect in the next one year. This is because when you are discussing a Budget of over one trillion and you expect it to go up, the allocations must also go up. So, the guy who is doing the accounts should have given us the comparative estimates so that he increases the revenue to the county governments. Thirdly, the law requires that they do mid-term estimates. They are supposed to give us an estimate for the next three years. That is in the Financial Management Bill, and yet they have not provided for this. In essence, I am saying that the county governments’ allocations are not enough to run those governments. The Members have to look at this matter collectively the way we looked at our salaries because it will be impossible for the county governments to do development even in their constituencies. You might be forced to look for money from the national Government if the county governments are allocated very little money. If you go to the national Government to look for money, it will give you a good answer that it has taken money to your county and, therefore, you should go and look for your Governor. If you look at this Bill, you will find that commissions have been allocated Kshs9 billion. I do not think that more work is remaining for commissions in this country. Eighty per cent of the Constitution has been implemented and Mrs. Serem has already reviewed our salary and everybody’s salary. I do not know what work is remaining for commissions to be allocated Kshs9 billion in the next financial year. I have talked to Hon. Mbadi and asked him to bring an amendment that will reduce the money allocated to the commissions to between Kshs2 billion and Kshs3 billion. Hon. Deputy Speaker, proposals have been made in this House that these commissions should work on part time basis because they are equivalent to Board of Directors of companies. We do not sit in those companies every day to run them. The Board of Directors come, meet and give their views which are taken by the Managing Director who implements them. So, there are secretariats which run those commissions. Why should a commissioner be allocated a Government vehicle that is fueled by the Government, have bodyguards, drivers and all things that a state officer should enjoy? This is the case and yet they have denied these things to Members of Parliament. This Bill ought to have gone to the relevant departmental committee. That matter has been overemphasized. That way, it would make a lot more sense. What we are now discussing here would have better been scrutinized by the relevant departmental committee. I am, therefore, requesting both sides of the House to agree and allow the committees to function. I also request my colleagues on the Jubilee side to allow the CORD side to chair and also have majority Members in the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Investments Committee. They should not subject those two committees to the main guiding principle of the tyranny of numbers, as they did in the past elections. We know they are more than us in Parliament, but this is a"
}