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    "id": 380971,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/380971/?format=api",
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    "content": "DMS? There will be a major crisis in the health sector because the capacities were not assessed before the functions were devolved. I think the health sector will really suffer because of that. Madam Temporary Speaker, finally, there is the issue of the payroll. All the salaries have been moved to the counties. How will a county that is just starting have a payroll for doctors and nurses? In fact, what about the loans that they had before and the promotions that they were about to get? Do you now split all the arrangements that have been there and sent them to 47 different areas and make sure that these people continue to get the services and payments that they used to get? How do you ensure continuity without having planned, trained and made sure that by the time you devolve this function, there is a smooth transition? So, we are setting up the counties for failure, in fact, the whole country for chaos, especially in the field of health, because of not assessing the capacity. I do not know what the TA did to advise the Executive to especially devolve the health sector. Therefore, we are loading the counties with functions and responsibilities without enough funding and capacity building and assessment. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other thing that I would also like to add is the issue of budgeting at the county level. I really support those who have said that budgeting for the counties and assessing their capacities to do budgets should start right now. Budget offices should be opened in the counties right now. The county assemblies have to be quickly brought up to speed, to let them know that they are another arm of Government within the county. Right now, there is a whole confusion where even the county assemblies and their speakers are looking up to the Governor. Therefore, there will be those who want to please the Governor. We will go back to the 1980s, where the National Assembly used to wait for everything from the Office of the President. I think that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has brought up to speed the Parliament in Kenya, to the extent that it is now capable of managing its affairs as another arm of the Government and not an appendage of the Executive. What will happen now is that the county assemblies are going to be appendages of the Executive at the county level unless we build their capacities. I fully agree that in some counties, even the mention of the word “budget” is just way above the thinking of the county assembly members. I fully support Sen. Murkomen’s idea that budgeting in some counties should be done in the Kiswahili language, so that they can actually understand it. A budget office should be there to train and build capacity, because we are going to see a scenario where a Governor will come up with a budget, and just because maybe something has been catered for or someone has been employed in your ward, he will do as he wishes with the rest of the budgeting. That becomes a major problem. Madam Temporary Speaker, I support this Bill because this is the beginning. In every beginning, there have to be teething problems, but I think that if we allow too many teething problems, then it will cause chaos and confusion. So, we quickly need to now use this experience. This money that will go out there is too little because most of it is for The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}