Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 481494,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/481494/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kembi-Gitura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 242,
        "legal_name": "James Kembi Gitura",
        "slug": "kembi-gitura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I do not want to be misunderstood if I contribute from the other side. Article 125 of the Constitution is very clear. Article 125 of the Constitution gives the Committees of the Senate or the Senate itself the same powers as the High Court. The High Court under the Judicature Act has powers to compel attendance and even to make a decision as a court of first instance for contempt of court if the matters amount to contempt. Mr. Speaker, Sir, today is a very sad day. In the morning, I attended the Committee sitting on invitation because I was made to understand that the Governor for Murang’a would come to answer questions on the queries of the audit. It is the second time that I attended that meeting to listen to what the Governor of Murang’a County would respond to the several queries that were going to be raised. Last time, he did not come and today he did not come. The last time the Committee sat he had sent so many officers and an order was made to the effect that that was wasteful usage of public funds. I want to believe that the Chairperson of that Committee will pursue that wastage and that somebody will be surcharged for it because I do not expect the people of Murang’a to pay for that wastage. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is very unfortunate that the governors do not seem to understand where we are coming from. They do not seem to understand that we want to work together so that we can develop the counties in the spirit of devolution. Instead they think that they have a war with us, as Senators, and that we are in competition with them. I would like to make it very clear to them that we, as a Senate, are going to do what we have to do. We are going to enforce the rights that we have because they are given by the Constitution. That is to protect the counties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Motion before the House is very good because it has picked the four counties that have not adhered to the rules. In Murang’a County, there are 1.2 million people. This financial year we have been granted Kshs4.6 billion. This is a lot of money on the face of it, but not so much as to be misused. The fear I have is that if you allow governors to go the way they are going; flaunting money that is not theirs and using it for uses that are not under Schedule 4, campaigning for the money and yet the 2017 general elections are still very far, we will have the counties impoverished and that is not acceptable. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Article 225 of the Constitution talks about withholding funds to counties, but not in excess of 50 per cent. It must be remembered that it is not the governor in his personal capacity and the other three governors mentioned who will 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."
}