Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 380810,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/380810/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 126,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for that assurance and even the question – I hope it is subject to reconsideration in future – nothing is permanent. The Chair is encouraged, in the spirit of building traditions for this House, to relook at that issue at an appropriate point at his discretion. Mr. Speaker, Sir, other than that, the other issue that I think, as a House, we need to note is that, in preparing this Bill, there has been regard to the whole issue of ring fencing any shortfalls in the expected revenue because there is a possibility that the expected revenue may not be realized. I think this Bill has been brought in the understanding – and I think there is a relevant provision there that talks about ring fencing – that any shortfalls which may come will be absorbed by the national Government. So, I think counties can be sure that, at least for now provisionally – if I may say so – the Kshs210 billion which is being shared is assured; that is the meaning of ring fencing. So, it does not matter what the revenue inflows look like, the national Government absorbs any shortfalls in revenues as is expected under the Constitution and under the law. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other thing which has been put into consideration is the issue of fiscal capacity and efficiency of our counties, and I know this is a matter of great concern. As much as the counties are unable to do some of the things that are expected of them, one of the issues that need to be tackled, not necessarily in this Bill but going forward through legislation and policy, is that we must address the issue of the capacities of our counties and their efficiency to deliver services. That is why if you look at the Constitution, it says that the national Government, when requested, must or shall enable counties build relevant capacities. These capacities are not just in form of human resources, et cetera . They are also in the form of fiscal capacities or capacity to generate and use public money well. At the moment, the issue of how much money a county can generate is not very clear because of the absence of data---"
}