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{
    "id": 389314,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/389314/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 234,
    "type": "other",
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    "content": "the counties go to the next budget cycle with a better plan than what they did in the first cycle of the budget. When you look at the first budgets, you will find that they have a lot of misallocations in terms of where the funds are going. Most of those budgets do not tally with what the counties have. Most of them were unable to read and tabulate the revenues that they collect locally, but if they have plans now, come 2014, I believe that each county will be able to set itself properly, do a planning that is better and implement what will be done by the people. When this is done, the citizens within the counties will appreciate that devolution can work and can change their lives. Madam Temporary Speaker, what is happening now is that each governor is saying what he will do without putting in mind what the cost is. For example, a sector like the health faces challenges and no governor can tell us what he is going to do with the existing 50 health centres and what equipment can be put in them. One cannot tell you whether they lack a CT scan, dialysis machines and so on. It has also been difficult for the Transition Authority (TA) to do an audit so that it can help the counties. What we are trying to say as the Senate is that; we want to see plans that can give a picture of that county. It should show us the revenue that can be collected and how the allocation from the Government can be supplemented and allocated to various projects in development. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is very difficult to determine the measures and systems that have been put in place to guide them to mitigate the revenue collection. When we talk of development plans, we are talking about resources. Therefore, we should ensure that the little resources we have can work for the benefit of all and not just end up as recurrent expenditure or wages. What is meant for devolution should be directed to development. That is where the governors have really lost it. Due to their lack of plans, they ended up budgeting for their vehicles, then their executives and forgot to plan for those who are going to do their technical work. That is why we have challenges of salaries. If governors can plan well, they can pay the salaries to their experts. Today, if you look at the County of Nairobi, you will realise that one of the challenges is the plan on how to come up with their own metropolitan police which is needed urgently. For example, yesterday in Ufungamano Street, young men were terrorizing owners of shops, stealing everything, including phones and money in broad daylight. It means that we have a challenge in maintaining peace and security. Lack of peace is not just where there is fighting, but also where we have insecurity because the owner now has to stand with a panga or a gun to secure his shop and himself. We have to really plan. When we talk about plans, we are saying that we have very unique counties like Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. So, if the governors do not plan well, then these counties are not going to realise what we thought devolution can bring. You will find that the wage bill in these counties is so high because these were cities so the county councils at that time were so bloated. Every councillor could bring in his or her people to be employed. Today, the Intergovernmental Relations Act states something different. You must have papers for you to work. Therefore, that becomes a challenge for the counties. Using the plans and the Equilisation Fund, we will see how and where counties are marginalised. This will be in their plans. You will also find the issue of 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."
}