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{
    "id": 455705,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/455705/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 73,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Lati",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2762,
        "legal_name": "Jonathan Lelelit Lati",
        "slug": "jonathan-lelelit-lati"
    },
    "content": "The primary objective of this Bill is to amend Article 204 of our Constitution, and take the distribution of the Equalisation Fund from the purview of the national Government to the constituencies. When you look at Part (b) of the Bill - and this is the emphasis – it states:- “ (b) by remitting the monies appropriated under Paragraph (a) to the respective constituencies of the areas identified under Article 216 (4) to be used by those constituencies for the purpose for which the appropriation was made in accordance with such fund as Parliament may establish.” What we are doing here is to take away the Equalisation Fund money allocated to every county and put it in specific constituencies, so that it can be used in the model of Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). First of all, I want to be very clear. By doing this, it does not increase any expenditure on the side of the national Government. That is because the Equalization Fund has already been established. All we are doing is to re- distribute the money into constituencies of those areas. Areas like Kwale and Kilifi will get their money as part of CDF, instead of through the county. I am a proponent of CDF. If we want to devolve money to the lowest level, it is one way through which we can take money to the lowest unit of political administration of the people. Even in developed counties today in Kenya, you will agree with me that there are constituencies within those counties which are marginalized. If you look at Tiaty Constituency in Baringo, for example, where hon. Kamama comes from, it is one of the most marginalized areas in this county. But just because there is a tarmac road to Kabarnet, someone will think that Tiaty is also developed. That is what CRA should have looked at. If we use their formula and give Samburu West and North money, it will be devolved to areas that are marginalized more than others. The other reason for this Bill, which focuses on the constituencies, is the success story of the CDF model. If you go to any constituency today, it does not matter whether you liked or loved the former MP; the best classrooms and dispensaries were built through CDF. The few children who have gone to good schools is through CDF bursaries. Sometimes, we have to admit the truth. There is a famous saying in the United States of America (USA), that: “If something is not broken, do not fix it”. In my opinion, as a country, we should go that route. Because CDF is not broken, we should not fix it. Our focus of devolution should have been CDF. If it has worked so well, why would anyone even think of counties? That is why we are now having all this trouble as shown by the audits. That is because we tried to fix something that was not broken. We should have borrowed that old saying from USA. That is what is informing this Bill. CDF has done very well. Let us use its model to distribute the Equalisation Fund. I have to stress that it does not add any expenditure to the Government. It can qualify to be more of a Bill than a mainstream money Bill, because we are only re-distributing the money and not creating additional expenditure. I also have to stress that with the passing of this Bill, it does not require any referendum or the Senate. That is because it does not touch on the counties. It is a national Bill. So, once this House approves this Bill, we will have money for marginalized areas in our country. That money will be used at the constituency level. 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."
}