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{
    "id": 429160,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/429160/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 379,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kanyua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 981,
        "legal_name": "Priscilla Nyokabi Kanyua",
        "slug": "priscilla-nyokabi-kanyua"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I also rise to support the Division of Revenue Bill as drafted. The reasons why I support this Bill are because the commitment for devolution in this country continues to be exhibited. This is only the second year of our devolution programme and so far, the funding has moved from Kshs190 billion which was shared last year, to Kshs226 billion. I think that is fairly good incremental changes that we are seeing in this country. In supporting the Division of Revenue Bill, I am also mindful of the lines that the Budget and Appropriations Committee, which I am happy to serve as a member; was able to put in conditional allocations. That is because those funds are also going into the counties and what the Budget and Appropriations Committee is saying is that, we do not want to risk devolution. We do not want to interfere with devolution in any way. But the country needs to issue very strong messages in those areas. Hon. Deputy Speaker, if you look at the funding provided for youth polytechnics, as a country, it is that time we concentrated on youth polytechnics. I support the move like what is happening in my own county, Nyeri, to change the name from “youth polytechnics” to “county technical institutions”. The youth polytechnics seem to come with a stigma of their own, in the sense that only those who did not complete the 8-4-4 System of Education were allowed to go to the youth polytechnics. We are telling the country that this House and the country at large does care about technical schools and want to provide more artisans in our country. Hon. Deputy Speaker, if you look for employment right now, a mason or a plumber has high likelihood to even make more money than some of the graduates we have. Therefore, I support the Bill for providing money directly to youth polytechnics in the way that it has done. If you look at the amount for the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), again, there are very good reasons to continue supporting ESP and centres of excellence. I am urging this House, even as we go on, in the next year, we should try and complete the ESP that was initiated by the President when he was the Minister for Finance. The original ESP had with it health centres, markets, veterinary services and the education component. Hon. Deputy Speaker, if you look at the Budget for this year, we have only catered for the education sector. In the next financial year, we still need to have the ESP as a whole. As we support the Bill as drafted, it is good to note that the country needs to concentrate on making more money. The funding that is available right now can only go up to 43 per cent as provided. I think pushing the level beyond what we now have is not going to be possible because the national Government has also strategic interventions. 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."
}