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{
    "id": 429082,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/429082/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 301,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Waiganjo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2644,
        "legal_name": "John Muriithi Waiganjo",
        "slug": "john-muriithi-waiganjo"
    },
    "content": "important to look into certain issues that may appear to be moving against the general good. Governors must also be very careful when they are allocating funds to their respective constituencies because you will also find that in some counties, governors are allocating more funds to constituencies which they think supported them in the last elections. They continuously do that and on the national level we find that even if the Government has now fully devolved its functions, although the Transition Authority was an unmitigated disaster, devolution does not go to the grassroots because when it gets to the level of the governor, he now skews development and takes it towards areas where he thinks he had support. So, it is important to urge the governors to try and devolve these funds fairly and effectively to all areas. I also want to comment on the fact that this Division of Revenue Bill, in its threshold of 15 per cent, if the national Government does not get to that threshold, they have clearly said that it is the national Government that will close that gap. That is a good thing. In conclusion, I would like to say that it is clear to everybody that those who wanted to play politics with devolution must now look for something else to do or to blame the Government for. It is now clear that the national Government is committed to devolving funds. It is now left to the counties themselves to see how well they can represent their counties. I think the national Government must be happy to leave and guide the country in the knowledge that they have devolved the burden of blame from themselves to the governor. The ball is now clearly in the court of governors to know that they should govern their counties well, elaborately and fairly without malice or blaming the Government. We will now wait to hear what the Council of Governors will say because if this amount goes to the counties, the only shortfall – which is not a shortfall as such – is about Kshs12 billion. We will see their level of absorption and wait to see where they are headed. We also commend those of them who are working and wait to see those who just talk and not work to see where they are heading. So, I support the Division of Revenue Bill completely and I urge my colleagues to support it."
}