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{
    "id": 462013,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/462013/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Wahome",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1700,
        "legal_name": "Alice Muthoni Wahome",
        "slug": "alice-muthoni-wahome"
    },
    "content": "bringing this timely Motion to the House. It is very thoughtful of him to bring it. This is a timely strategy. I recall that during the budget-making process, most of the Committees of this House were faced by Government Departments seeking for increased funding for their activities. I sit in the Committee on Administration and National Security and in the CIOC. When we were faced with requests for increase of budget allocations, we were not able to provide. Even after lobbying the Budget and Appropriations Committee, we could not manage to provide even a shilling. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, an hon. Member alluded to the fact that there are districts which do not have vehicles; where they have vehicles, they do not have spare parts; and, where they have spare parts, they do not have fuel. I recall the Inspector General of Police (IGP) pleading for more funding. Therefore, if we are cutting down on unnecessary expenditure to provide fuel to our security agencies and hospitals, and provide pharmaceuticals for children, then we should do so. In fact, this should have been foreseen by the Cabinet Secretary, Treasury; because he is operating on a very limited Budget. I am really thankful that some of the hon. Members who spoke before me suggested ways of ensuring that implementation of this Motion, once it is passed, is followed up to the later. We really need to put this into action and ensure that it happens. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I previously served as a Director of the Retirement Benefits Authority. During my stay there, there were circulars. I believe that we are all aware that the Head of the Public Service normally issues circulars, regulating some lifestyles like the one we are discussing and cutting down on expenditures. He would generally put capping on where to spend and what to spend on. Today, we are being treated with information to the effect that the Judicial Service Commissioners are paying themselves Kshs80,000 as sitting allowance per day. Some of them are my colleagues in the profession. They have their practising firms still carrying on with business. Others are judges who are serving in the Judiciary. They also have a standing salary. Therefore, it defeats logic that one would earn a sitting allowance of Kshs80, 000 per day. The standard sitting allowance for ordinary directors of boards and authorities has been Kshs20,000. Commissioners’ rate is at that level. This rate is for those who are not full-time commissioners. Full-time commissioners earn salaries. So, it is not reasonable that they pay themselves a sitting allowance of Kshs80,000. There is a lot of wastage in this country. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, even when we travel, we stay in hotels. This is another area we must address with a view to ensuring that we have a standard regulation capping the amount of money payable to hotels per night, and in which hotels we should stay because some people are doing business with Government money. I know that some people pay themselves per diem at the rate of US$400 or 400 Sterling Pounds per day for accommodation. If every travel on Business Class is rated that way, we will use between US$300 and US$400 per night. So, you can see how much money we are using when we could easily accommodate a public officer with Kshs10,000 or US$100 in a suitable and comfortable hotel. 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."
}