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{
    "id": 364100,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/364100/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 287,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Langat",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 384,
        "legal_name": "Benjamin Kipkirui Langat",
        "slug": "benjamin-langat"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, hon. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I am a Member of the Budget Committee and I want to confirm that yesterday, we worked almost up to today. So, I support the Report because it is very clear. The roles of the National Assembly and those of the Senate are very clear. I do not think there is any dispute in the Constitution as regards the roles of the two Houses of Parliament. Hon. Speaker, Sir, we are not saying that the county governments should not be given more money. Indeed, they must be given more money but we are saying that we must follow a process. The Constitution says that before giving any function or money to the county governments, they must show that they have the capacity to use it properly. Even the report from the Treasury says that they have actually done the costing for the amount they are proposing to allocate to the county governments. Therefore, I want to urge this House that, for the right procedure to be followed, from now onwards; let us approve the Report of the Budget Committee, so that we do not go back to the same thing in the next financial year. Following this debate, it is important for the relevant Committee to bring an amendment to the Standing Orders, so that they can be in line with the Constitution in as far as division of revenue is concerned. The role of the National Assembly is to divide the national income between the two levels of the Government, namely, the national Government and the county governments. That is clearly stated in Article 95, where the roles of the National Assembly are mentioned. The Constitution says that, once the National Assembly divides the national income between the two levels, the Senate can do what is called “allocation of revenue to counties”. That is their mandate. It is very clearly stated in the Constitution. In fact, changing what the Constitution says is like carrying out a constitutional amendment. Allocation of revenue to counties is squarely their role. Therefore, let us do our job, as the National Assembly. Let the Senate and the county governments do their jobs, so that we do not clash with each other along the way on matters which are clearly stated in the Constitution. Hon. Speaker, Speaker, your ruling was actually correct. I know that there was a ruling from the other House of Parliament but we must follow the Constitution even when we make rulings. Division of revenue is clearly the business of the National Assembly. If a time comes when the National Assembly purports to take"
}