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{
    "id": 364104,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/364104/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion on this Bill on the Report of the Committee and without belabouring what my other hon. colleagues have said, Article 95(4)(a) of the Constitution is very clear that the role of dividing revenue at the national and county level is the express mandate of the National Assembly. In fact, for purposes of this Motion I would want to read it. It says: “The National Assembly – (a) determines the allocation of national revenue between the levels of government, as provided in Part 4 of Chapter Twelve.” Hon. Speaker, Sir, and the levels of Government are only two – the national and county. So, therefore, this is actually a non-issue. In fact, I think I would want to say that we were wrong from the beginning in transmitting, transferring or referring this Bill to the Senate. Hon. Speaker, Sir, if you look at the proposed allocations by the Senate, you realise that indeed as a country as much as we support devolution, this is the first time that we are making allocations to county governments and they are yet to develop capacities that would ensure that they expedite their mandate. Therefore, it is not just a question of recalculating figures. You move from Kshs210 billion to Kshsh248 billion. In fact, if you were even to look at the contents of the proposed amendments, the proposed amendment to Clause 4 is very suspect because it seems to suggest that if county governments do not have enough money any extra cost shall be borne by the national Government. Surely, if we were to legislate such kind of an amendment it would mean that counties have a leeway to spend whatever they want to spend and if they have deficits then it is the responsibility of the national Government and that does not encourage self sufficiency. It does not encourage counties to go out there and actually determine their economic prosperity by looking at viable projects that maybe existing or potential ones within their counties. Hon. Speaker, Sir, in actual sense, the proposals from the Senate are very minimal and I would want to say this is an indication that the National Assembly actually did its job very well. What they are proposing – some of them are actually editorials like “remove the word “allocation” and put the word “grant’. Surely, I think that would have also been observed at a later stage if at all it was that necessary."
}