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{
    "id": 358029,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/358029/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 322,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ochieng",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2955,
        "legal_name": "David Ouma Ochieng'",
        "slug": "david-ouma-ochieng"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this very important Bill. To me, this is the most important Bill in this House this year. It is because this Bill will determine whether our county governments will start and run or they will become “kaput”. This Bill will basically lay the foundation for the much sought after devolution. That is why we must ensure that it sets a good basis for devolution. I am appalled by the fact that we have a Bill before us that purports to divide revenue between the national Government and the county governments and yet, it leaves out very important details. At Page 12 of the Schedule in the Bill which shows comparison of recommendations between the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) and the national Treasury, you will realize that there are no figures we can use from the relevant Commission. The figures or recommendations by CRA are missing. We are being told that they are not available. It is CRA that is supposed to give us those figures. How are we supposed to compare? In law, when you give exceptions, it is not supposed to be the norm. The Treasury has decided to use the better part of this Bill to give reasons why it is running away from what the CRA has proposed. We need to get the figures as proposed by CRA. The Bill goes further to say that with regard to county vertical allocation for 2013/2014, CRA started with a base of Kshs203 billion. We are not being told what figures, measures and proposals there are from CRA. We must respect our institutions by allowing them to carry out their roles. When they do that, then it has to be judicious and legal. We cannot allow Treasury to bring a Bill before us that flies in the face of the Constitution. We do not have figures from CRA! Devolution does not merely mean transferring the functions of employing Government officers from the national level to the county governments. Much of the money reflected here is for recurrent expenditure. It will be used for employment of staff at the county government. We do not see money that will help the county governments carry out their revenue mandate. Hon. Deputy Speaker, if you look at the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, it is very clear. The mandate of the county government is very large; it is huge! However, they cannot do"
}