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    "id": 438680,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/438680/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 184,
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    "content": "contrast to the constraining circumstances that the new administration found itself in at the start of last year and the limited room for amendments made vide Supplementary Estimates I. In addition, the Financial Year /2014/2015 Budget preparation process was an opportunity to clean house, to review and rationalize non-core spending areas and to re-organize spending units for optimal operational performance in view of the restructured Government and devolved functions. One of the most remarkably aspects of the Budget-making process in this Financial Year is the considerable portfolio being spread out from the centre to the counties and constituencies. Over 40 per cent of ordinary revenue has been allocated to county governments and another Kshs33 billion or so is designated for constituencies under the CDF framework as I have said. In this regard, this Budget resonates with the guiding principles on devolution as espoused in Chapter 11 of the Constitution in especially adhering to equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout the Republic. The Budget estimates for the national Government for the next financial year has placed specific focus on security, education, transport, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water and housing. These are targeted matters that will meet the basic needs of our people as well as provide for their capacity to be productive. It will drive both the software and the hardware of our society. My Committee commends the Executive for taking time out to deliberate in a structured manner on the urgent priorities of our nation. The reflections have been reflected in the Budget Estimates of this year. Indeed, my Committee met twice with the Executive on these priorities. However, in the sequence of activities and in finally arriving at the Estimates, we recommend that the Executive deliberations should be logically sequenced in such a manner as to inform and retain the sanctity of the Budget Policy Statement. Many of you will recall the Nanyuki Retreat led by the President happened after BPS. It is our view that in future, Nanyuki should happen before the BPS, so that the national Executive outlines its priorities before we meet here as the National Assembly to determine the BPS. We further recommend that such reflection sessions be guided by a robust monitoring and evaluation structure that reviews programmes implementation and seeks to de-prioritize non-core projects and engagements. These are good steps for our people and it is good that many players have been involved in this Budget-making process. It is important to make bold steps in moving the entire Budget making framework towards our common vision and objectives. My Committee will continue to engage the Executive especially with respect to the reduction of non-essential Government expenditure within the Budget framework. We would like to see a review of the operations of State agencies and State funded programmes. We would like to see consolidation of duplicative programmes whose target objectives are similar, but whose administration and operations are disparate in form and structure. They should reduce non-essential programmes and expenditure on that at all levels possible. This proposal is based on the realization that a large portion of the current bureaucracy was created during the early years of Independence. In attempts to solve the unique problems of those eras and especially of the last term of nusu mkate, it is important that we look at Government bureaucracy again. It grows far too huge for our comfort. The Government must be made light and flexible, adaptable to the new challenges the country will face in the 21st Century. Winding out the failed and outdated projects of the past, obviously will free resources 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."
}