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{
    "id": 367073,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/367073/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Nyasuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 590,
        "legal_name": "Gladys Atieno Nyasuna",
        "slug": "gladys-atieno-nyasuna"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity. I rise to support the Motion, as amended, and thank the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the man of God, hon. Mutava Musyimi, for bringing the necessary amendments to this House to ensure that the CDF money goes to the people, as required. Hon. Speaker, Sir, in the history of this country, there has been no devolved fund that has been as accepted, absorbed, celebrated and as successful as CDF. There is no other devolved fund which has had as much impact on the life of the ordinary mwananchi at the village-level as CDF. That is why this House should not accept any interference with CDF. I am very happy that the balance of Kshs5.4 billion CDF allocation for the current Financial Year has been restored. It is now very difficult to come across the mud walls that were the familiar scene of our schools. Our schools are improving. We now have brick walls all over the country. In every part of this country you go to, you will find a signboard saying “Project Supported by CDF”, be it in the City of Nairobi or Homa Bay, where I come from. I am also glad that the Budget and Appropriation Committee found it prudent to re-allocate some of the funds that were meant for construction of an office for the immediate former President to the teachers’ salary kitty. The issue of teachers is really serious. I hope that we will address it conclusively through the Appropriation Bill. Teachers are the eyes of our society. In our communities, teachers are only second to Members of Parliament when it comes to being approached with issues. When looking for a master of ceremony for a funeral, a burial committee would go for a teacher. When somebody is sick in the middle of the night, if the Member of Parliament is not there to attend to the matter, probably a teacher will do so. So, I am of the view that we need to address this matter urgently. Hon. Speaker, Sir, another issue that has been raised by the Budget and Appropriations Committee – and which I agree with - relates to the Public Finance and Management Act, particularly the issue of lack of absorption capacity of our development project resources. Laws are made to enhance processes and not to impede them. If the existing law is making it impossible for us to spend even 30 or 40 per cent of our development budget, it should be reviewed so that, as we ensure that there is no pilferage of public funds, we also ensure that we hit up to 90 per cent spending of our development budget. An hon. Member has said, and rightly so; that it is imprudent to return to the National Treasury money meant for development and suggested that such money should, instead, be re-allocated to recurrent expenditure. Finally, I must thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee because over the last couple of weeks, they have worked tirelessly to ensure that we had the Budget Report"
}