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"content": "debating it in this House is a milestone that we should be celebrating as the Senate. It is a product of the struggle that we took to the Supreme Court. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to commend the Speaker of the National Assembly for finally agreeing that, indeed, the Division of Revenue Bill is a matter concerning counties and no such Bill can be valid, unless it comes to the Senate for confirmation. The legislative input of the Senate is critical because we are the champions or people who defend the interests of the counties. We have to be involved in the sharing of revenue, because it does affect the amounts that finally go to our counties. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to agree with my colleagues on one issue; that we can perpetually deny our counties revenues by not approving accounts. The Kshs226 billion that we are talking about is based on the accounts of 2009/2010 Financial Year. If we looked at the accounts of 2012/2013, this amount could be in the region of Kshs300 billion or more for the counties. So, by the delay of the National Assembly in approving audited accounts, we have deprived our counties of a substantial amount of money. It is the duty of every constitutional organ to work within the framework of the Constitution and law. Article 229 of the Constitution which our able Senator, Sen. James Orengo, read is really correct. It creates timelines for Parliament to approve audited accounts within certain frameworks and speed. There is a failure in that House to approve accounts with the speed in which it is required to do under the Constitution. I think that as the Senate it is our duty to point out that. So, we expect that when this Bill comes here next year, we will be talking about the accounts of 2013/2014. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that the national revenues will never be enough for our counties, but we want to move fast. The budgetary resources are under a lot of competition from other pressing national issues like education, security et cetera. I think that we should be more innovative in generating development revenue for our counties. One way of doing so is by, as a Senate, putting pressure on the national Government to allow reasonable borrowings by the county governments. The Treasury can frustrate the county governments by not providing guarantees for the loans. I have seen very good programmes from governors who are talking to external agencies to fund development in their own areas, getting very reasonable external loans. But those can be frustrated by not getting guaranteed by the national Government. So, we, as the Senate, should be fighting to support our counties to get guarantees from the national Government for borrowing. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that in Meru County we have negotiated very good rates with firms in Malaysia to do 300 kilometres of tarmac roads in Meru, in 2014/2015. We expect that there will be no obstacles from the national Government. We are not asking them for money, but just a signature. I believe that there are many other counties in our case and we should be working together to support that long-term borrowing. The Treasury resources will never be enough to support development within our areas. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Meru County, we have spent Kshs300 million this financial year just to pay salaries for staff and equipment of the Level 5 Hospital in Meru. If we were to deduct this amount from the Kshs5 billion that we will get, and about 45 per cent or so, is going to recurrent expenditure, then there will be very little money that will be left. I am talking about the recurrent expenditure on the national Government 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."
}