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"id": 50544,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/50544/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Duale",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Livestock Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 15,
"legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
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"content": " Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, from the outset, I want to thank the Budget Committee for the Report that it has presented to Parliament. I have an issue with the last bit of this Motion that says that:- âPursuant to Article 241 of the Constitution, the Budget for the Ministry of State for Defence should be separated to reflect allocations to each of the three arms of the Defence Forces and general administrationâ. My problem is mainly on that Article 241 of the Constitution. We should not interrupt that Article because it is very clear. Article 241(1) (2) (3) talks about the Defence Forces, the Defence Council and what it consists of. It talks about the arms of the Defence Council. I do not find anywhere in Article 241 of the Constitution where the element of the separation of the finances of the three arms of the Defence Forces is. I also went back to Chapter 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya on Public Finance. Article 201 talks about the principles of Public Finance. It talks about the quality and the cornerstone of public finance in this country. Very candidly, it talks about the usage of public finance and financial management. So, I have an issue with the last bit of the Motion. One of the most important items in the Policy Statement that was presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance is on the National Economic Stimulus Programme which in his wisdom, in this yearâs Budget, he has not allocated anything. As you know, the National Economic Stimulus Programme was an item in the Budget in the last two years that brought equity to this nation. This Programme is mainly on health, education, infrastructure, Jua Kali sheds and the produce market. We felt for the first time, that the Kenyan Budget with that element on the National Economic Stimulus Programme was going towards a more equitable nation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the same line, the National Economic Stimulus Programme was factored into the Budget and it made my good friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the most popular Minister for Finance in the history of this country. One of the aims of this programme was to create 500,000 jobs every year. We need the Minister and Government to tell us how we will create the 500,000 jobs that were to be under the Economic Stimulus Programme. Secondly, we know that we have many unfinished public projects under the Economic Stimulus Programme, mainly because of the cumbersome procurement process of the Government. What is the transition period? How does the Minister want to take care of that at the end? If he has stopped the Economic Stimulus Programme, the end result will be many ghost and unfinished projects. We want the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance to think about that and see what he can do. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, under this policy has factored Kshs9.5 billion to finance the implementation of the new Constitution. He has also factored in Kshs7.6 billion for social safety nets. Again, he has removed the Economic Stimulus Programme. To me, it is like robbing Peter and giving Paul or you robe Mohammed and give Kyalo. That is exactly what the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance has done in his Public Budget Policy. However, the Budget for this year has shrunk to Kshs975 billion from last yearâs Kshs998 billion, of course, with the Kshs5.6 billion outstanding. The Minister has made an undertaking in this House, during the Finance Bill, that that money will be factored in Budget. I do not think hon. Members should be very worried now on the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) accumulated amount. I want to thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance because, for the first time in the history of this country, he has factored in the Livestock Development Fund and the Committee has supported him. We will have a fund with a capital of Kshs1 billion. At no time in the history of this country will we beg money as pastoralists from the Government. We will have a fund that will take care of emergencies as a result of the weather conditions among the pastoral communities that I represent in Parliament. So, that was a step ahead and I want to thank the Committee and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for seeing that. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if I look at the positives on the part of the Minister, I find that he has cut on Recurrent Expenditure, which is very great. All along we have talked about wastage and accumulation of huge bills. However, this year the Minister has cut on Recurrent Expenditure. He has drastically reduced wastage in various Ministries. He has not factored in a number of crucial programmes that will affect the economy of our country regionally and globally. These programmes include drought, escalating oil prices, global economic recession and, of course, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). I also get very worried when I look at the collection done by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Under the policy, the cumulative revenue received for February, 2011 by the KRA was Kshs394 billion against a target of Kshs426.4 billion. This has already created a shortfall of Kshs31.9 billion from KRA in terms of collection. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance predicts a growth rate of 5.7 per cent again, with a deficit of Kshs122.2 billion in the 2011/2012 Budget. This leads us to domestic borrowing and financing. All these have to come out very clearly. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think the Committee in this Motion--- I will go back to the earlier issue that I raised. I am sure the Chairman and the Members of the Committee are here. We need an explanation from the Committee Members because Section 241 of the Constitution does not talk about how public finance should be divided. Today, in the Ministry of Livestock Development, we have one single line budget, but within that budget, we have various departments. I am sure it goes on even in the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security. Every Ministry has individual departments and directorates. So, we need to be convinced why for the first time, you want to know how much the Kenya Air Force and Police are given. If we had scrutinized last yearâs Budget, as a Committee and House, we would have known how much even small departments within the Kenya Air Force were allocated. This also applies to the Kenya Army. If we had one budget for the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) and the Ministry of State for Defence--- Again, if you go to Section 201, under Public Finance, it is my humble opinion that Committees should not use the Constitution without due diligence on how that Article is to be interpreted. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the last bit of this, I will oppose this Motion."
}