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{
    "id": 469082,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/469082/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
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    "content": "However, it is also important to understand that after very many years of Government since Independence, we finally succeeded in having devolution. It is at the county level or the devolved level that production takes place. It is at that devolved level that livelihoods of Kenyans are looked after. So, if any Government of Kenya will spend any money whatsoever, it has to spend these money where production takes place and where livelihoods are sustained and that is nowhere other than in devolved governments. Devolved governments constitute the whole nation; 47 of them. Outside the devolved governments, within the boundaries of Kenyan nation, you go nowhere. Therefore, I must say that our responsibility, as the Senate, is to ensure that we look at the Constitution, the revenues of our nation and make sure that this is repatriated accordingly as laid down in the Constitution so that we can sustain proper production and maintain livelihoods. That is what is called development. I want to make one reference which I think Sen. Kipchumba referred to and even Sen. Kanainza. In the Appropriation Bill, Clause 1(f) is typical to the kind of problems we will face in dealing with dividing resources between the national government and the county governments. Clause 1(f) calls upon us as Senators to realise that if we have to give proper direction to the Secretary, Treasury, in the future, we will need to pass the laws that the Constitution intended, that will make the Treasury divide the money properly. I will read it and tell you where problems are likely to occur. This has already been mentioned, but I also have a proposal on how we can deal with it. Clause 1(f) says; “Sixth, allocations to regional referral hospitals were also excluded from the county governments’ equitable share in order to arrive at a base that does not include the cost of operating institutions that provide services to a cluster of counties.” This is from the original Bill because the Bill tabled in the House is much shorter. However, it refers to one thing. What do we define as referral hospitals? At the moment, the Constitution says that the national government will be responsible for national health facilities. That, at the moment, can be defined as two hospitals. These are the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). This does not stop this Senate from providing for national referral health facilities through an Act of Parliament which will make healthcare much more realistic. Let me put it this way. The reason Level Five Hospitals or Provincial Government Hospitals have those titles is because they provide for people, not just within the counties where they are situated, but for Kenyans in general. Originally, these Kenyans were supposed to come from provinces, but the provinces are no longer there. Even when provinces were there, they were providing for Kenyans beyond those provinces. I can give you examples of Kitale District Hospital which is just a district hospital, but provides for people from as far as Sudan and Uganda. The Kakamega Provincial Hospital provides for people coming as far as Uganda and Busia among other areas. So, the reality of Kenya is that we have referral facilities in reality which should be defined by an Act of the Senate, so that the national government can provide resources for their running because they go beyond the counties. In any case, since we are trying very hard to raise resources for the counties, it is unfair to burden the counties with these big hospitals that require so many resources and provide services to 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."
}