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{
    "id": 420135,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/420135/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 126,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mulu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1955,
        "legal_name": "Benson Makali Mulu",
        "slug": "benson-makali-mulu"
    },
    "content": "On the issue of outstanding imprests, there is a figure of Kshs3.3billion. This figure is mind-boggling. I have worked in the Civil Service for a short time. The time I worked there, I knew very well that if you are issued with an imprest to go on official duty, immediately you come back to your station, you are expected to surrender it within 48 hours. What has changed now that we can see a report that is about three years old talk about an outstanding imprest of Kshs3.3 billion? It is either people are not doing the work they are sent out to do or they are trying to cook figures so that they can account for that imprest. There is one thing, hon. Speaker, that this honourable House must do. This House needs to use the powers which it has to punish those accounting officers. The other item is on the delay in presenting these reports. We are all aware that, as per the current Constitution of 2010, allocation of revenues to the counties and determination of how much goes to the Equalization Fund is actually pegged on the approval of this Report by the House. In a situation where these Reports are not approved up to the year 2009/2010, then it means this House might not be able to use the same figure for 2010/2011, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 to allocate money either vertically to the central Government and county governments or even to important funds like the Equalization Fund. I think that is very unfair to the parties that are involved in the allocation of revenue. That is why, even as we talk about the issue of the wage bill, if Kenyans are serious, we need to talk about the level of wastage and corruption in terms of the way we use our resources. If we all recall, the Auditor-General was in this House last year, where he made a presentation and from that presentation, he indicated that Kshs300 billion could not be properly accounted for. I always ask myself: We are talking about Kshs300 billion and we want to cut people’s salaries which will only save about Kshs300 million. So, it is Kshs300 billion compared to Kshs300 million. So, I think we are not getting it right in terms of the strategies to solve the problem of wage bill. In conclusion, I want to say this: Time has come to deny funds to accounting officers who are not using their funds well. We should not give them more money. I would plead with my Chair - Chair of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations - to ensure that as we allocate money, we should consider how funds given in the previous years have been used by the accounting officers. With those remarks, I support the adoption of the Reports. Thank you."
}