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{
    "id": 474071,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/474071/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, a question has been raised by one of my colleagues here on the matter of whether we, as Senators, should have the facility or power and authority in execution and holding of resources at the county. Should Senators have either a fund or say at the county level? I partially beg to differ with the contribution by one of my colleagues, the Senator for Nyeri. This is because I believe that there is nothing wrong in a Senator having a say in the responsibility of funds and how development is done. I have witnessed on several occasions that are hosted by Governors and the entire county leadership; that when matters development and what is happening at the county level come to the fore, the Senator is floating and has no place. Things are said and done in the presence of a leader who has been elected in that county, at this stage where we are building our country. I believe that a Senator is equally responsible for discharging those duties. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is said that if one fails to plan, then you plan to fail. The one thing that very conspicuously lacks at the county level is an elaborate and clear development plan for counties. I am aware that if you go to a county now and ask for those development plans, you will see them. Some of them are just haphazardly put together for the sake of the books and looking like they have been done. But there are no serious plans done to detail, involving public participation, intended to happen and be executed. That is why you will find that most of the expenditures at the counties are knee-jerk. They are just inspired at the spur of the moment and invitations that come from abroad either to travel or by a quickly thought out project. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to quickly interject that it is also the responsibility of Senators to ensure that, indeed, we help in the formulation of such a mindset. This will ensure that in future, as we send money after passing the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, we will quickly follow it up with legislation that will ensure that what we stand for, as the Senate, is going to be implemented. It is going to be self- defeating if we stand here and okay the disbursement of Kshs226 billion to the counties, for a repeat show of what has happened for the last year. It behooves this Senate to ensure that, indeed, these allocations will go a long with responsibilities that must be followed, obeyed and respected by the county governments. Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to support."
}