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    "id": 437090,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/437090/?format=api",
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    "content": "with Kshs258 billion. When we finished doing that, in a way it was rubbished by the National Assembly and to some extent by the Executive because it was signed into law. We should respect our Chairman and Vice Chairman, who negotiated to get the Kshs226 billion. I would be happy if the Senate Majority Leader, in replying would tell us what steps are being made so that we, in Senate, do not rubbish our own last year’s resolution. If we do so, those counties with facilities will not continue to enjoy them and those with none will not also come up. One of the duties of the Senate is to ensure that counties, within a certain time attain a certain level of equitable level of economy. For example, we are now talking about Level 5 hospitals. These hospitals are only found in 11 counties. Some counties like Nyandarua do not even have the Level 5 hospitals. They do not even have Level 4 hospitals. Most counties have Level 3 hospitals and want to come up. If we keep on giving money to the counties since Kshs226 billion is just an inflationary increase, counties that do not have the facilities will never get them. Article 206 of the Constitution says that we go by 15 per cent of the last audited accounts. I do not understand where the last audited accounts came from. Probably, it was a result of the fact that the national Government could not estimate how much income we would have this year. Therefore, we took recourse in the last known accounts. On that basis, it is not proper for us to keep on maintaining the last audited accounts and probably next time we should have an occasion to look at the Constitution – this is one of the things we should look at. We should be looking at audited accounts without waiting for them to be approved by anyone. Otherwise, we will keep on demeaning the counties. There is a small matter in this schedule. I do not think that it is proper for us to have this 43 per cent, the way it is presented. Whereas we have a very good explanation which I accept, by the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Commerce and Budget and the Senate Majority Leader; although Sen. Orengo used the word “deceive”, I think the whole thing gives a wrong impression. Sometimes impressions and perceptions are much stronger than facts. When the Kshs48 per cent is put against the Kshs226 billion out there, it gives the wrong impression. Someone out there in the national Government will probably stand in a podium and say that the counties have received 43 per cent, which is not true. I would be very happy if the superscript; the one against 15 per cent at the second column, was put against Kshs226 billion. We would first put 22 per cent against it and say that this is 43 per cent of Kshs529 billion. That way, I would be quite happy. However, I am not happy with the way it is now because it gives the wrong impression. The other issue is about the CRA formula. We, at the Senate, have not done our job in this respect. We have a few legal minds which will correct me if I am wrong. However, we are the ones to revisit that formula. We have not revisited it. I will support the Kshs226 million. I want to hear, when the Senate Majority Leader is replying, what steps he is taking. We needed 48 per cent but now we have accepted 13 per cent. What are we really saying? That means that we have been played about. I will be quite happy to wait for another year which is not an issue. However, let us put in place some mechanisms. Let us do some negotiations between now and then so that the country knows that we, the 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."
}