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{
    "id": 515608,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/515608/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 186,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "has an impact on issues to do with Exchequer release, as and when money is available for the implementation of projects and most importantly project delivery. Going forward, we need to look at this issue even through the Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade to ensure that there are realistic targets. It is good to be optimistic with regard to collection of revenue. In fact, there is no more justification for KRA to work harder than the demands that we are getting in order to fulfill them. Currently, there is a gap of about Kshs50 billion. This, in itself, has limited the way the Committee would have wanted to express itself on the resource envelopes and the ceilings. If, for example, these resources were available, it would have helped to allocate resources to various projects, spending agencies and Ministries that we felt were very deserving. A good case in point of that departure is, for example, the BPS speaks to the issue of having an urban commuter railway so that we can ease congestion in Nairobi. The project is supposed to cost about Kshs25 billion yet there is not a single resource allocation provided for that as an intervention mechanism. This then, therefore, goes to show that some of these achievements may just remain on paper. The other concern that I have is that when you look at the Budget-making process, before the ceilings are agreed upon, we have sector hearings and various Ministries argue their case as to why they should get more money within their various sectors. If they feel that they do not have enough resources as allocated by those sectors, they can come to Parliament to argue their case. We have a situation where we are told that the ceilings have been properly expressed to the various Ministries by the National Treasury and, therefore, we should go by that. I beg to differ because the role of Parliament has changed. We are now a Budget-making institution. I believe that with the concurrence of the National Treasury under Article 114 we, indeed, have the power to redo the whole Budget if we feel it is not meeting the concerns of Kenyans. That needs to go on record so that this Parliament must not be seen to be emasculating its own powers merely because we are supposed to concur with the Executive. There is a concern I have about the manner in which we are going about allocating resources in this Parliament. I want to speak to the issue of systemic discrimination and marginalisation of groups of persons, that based on the new Constitution have found their representation increased in this House. I have seen women struggling to increase their funding from Kshs2 billion to Kshs3 billion. I have seen other people being given more resources without much ado. Is it just because they are women that they cannot get the funds they would want of Kshs10 million per constituency? These are some of the things that continue to marginalise people who are categorised in Article 100 as marginalised groups of people. If you want to remove that form of marginalisation, then you put your money where your mouth is. Going forward, we need to speak to this issue. Hon. Speaker, there was also a very strong representation of the creation of special interest issues fund of about Kshs300million."
}