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{
    "id": 429084,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/429084/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 303,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Laboso",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 63,
        "legal_name": "Joyce Cherono Laboso",
        "slug": "joyce-laboso"
    },
    "content": "where it was clear that certain counties have hardly used any of their amounts that were given to them. So, mine is to say that we need to get the counties working very quickly to absorb the funding that they are given and carrying out projects that are going to make a difference to the people. I am looking at the allocation by the Commission on Revenue Allocation. They had allocated up to Kshs279 billion which they said they are basing on the latest financial year but I am wondering whether they took into consideration the provisions of Article 203(3) which clearly says that the amounts to be given shall be calculated on the basis of the most recent audited accounts of revenue received, as approved by the National Assembly. I see it just being cheeky, that they chose not to look at what is provided for in the Constitution. I am happy that our own Budget and Appropriations Committee has rectified that and given the figures based on the most recent audited accounts. I want to also join my colleagues to make a comment on the question of costing of functions because there is no way, and this has come out clearly that this is just an ad hoc way of deciding what revenue is going where. There is nothing structured or cost given to any of the functions that are being devolved or are in the national Government. So, this is one area that we need to ask the Treasury to quickly fix. We cannot continue year in, year out to make the same accusations that we are basing whatever we are doing on things that have not been costed. This is an area that must be addressed as quickly as we can. Hon. Speaker, as I look at the county allocations, I am wondering whether what our Budget and Appropriations Committee did is in order because they have gone ahead and even specified what this money is going to go to; that is the deviation from what had been agreed in the Budget Policy Statement. Does this not almost amount to budgeting for them? Are we making the decision on what they are going to spend their money on? So, in my view, the whole issue of youth polytechnics and Level 5 hospitals, that specification of extra money that they have deviated from our earlier allocation is not constitutional. The county governments are independent and make their budgets based on where they feel their priorities are. Even as I say that, the allocation of rural electrification money to the county governments, I am a little bit uncomfortable because, in my view--- Yes, the Constitution in the Fourth Schedule clearly divides that function between the two levels of Government, but as we all know, at the moment, our county governments do not have the capacity to carry out that function. My discomfort is on whether we are actually in the process of destroying as we devolve those functions. There have been very good institutions and I am sure many of us have benefited from them. We have REA. I am sure it has been a real asset in terms of electrifying this country. So, the idea that we are slowly moving all the funding for rural electrification away from REA into the counties, and whether the counties are going to make use of that body, is another question. Mine is to say that let us look critically at this division of money for REA into two bits. I believe that the counties can also work very effectively with REA, rather than them being allocated the money directly. As I conclude, I would like to laud the idea of Teachers Service Commission (TSC) being given a good amount of allocation. I want to reiterate that, again, one of the issues that we have is shortages of teachers. We want to ask that whatever money has been put there, we are going to get a larger number of teachers. But there is a very important point. The Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers must be employed The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}