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{
    "id": 522735,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/522735/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 143,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as you know there have been a lot of misconceptions, especially in relation to CDF funds. That is why I am really happy that this Bill has come at this time. I have heard and seen the public discussing this issue of CDF. I see people saying that for the first time Members of Parliament will not have any money to dip their hands into. A lot of people do not realise that there is a CDF national board and a committee at the local level. There is also a whole Act that regulates how CDF is managed. Part of that process includes procurement, which is governed by this Bill. I know that we will have sufficient time to ventilate the issue of CDF but I want to say that other than the fact that we need to tighten some issues, the CDF is one of those funds which have been extremely helpful indeed. Even though the CDF kitty has much less funds than the funds given to the county governments, it definitely has more benefits to the public. In fact, if CDF was to be removed we would not have support for our primary and secondary schools. Therefore, I see this Bill as having come at a very timely point in time, at which we can also allay the fears that people have that MPs can just wake up one morning and say “do this and that”. There are very clear laws that govern how tenders are awarded. The other reason why this Bill is timely is because of the issue of devolution, as I have indicated. Our governors receive a lot of money. One of the things I have noticed, which is a very common characteristic of a lot of the counties, is that most of the people who are employed are people who have never worked in government before. They may be qualified but because they do not know how Government works, we have a lot of challenges in many counties. I know a lot of people have complained about the Transition Authority but I know it also did not have sufficient capability to deal with the transitional issues in relation to the counties. I want to urge both the county governments and the national Government that they need to take these issues seriously because some of us would have absolutely and completely supported the scrapping of CDF and have it transferred to the county governments, if we had faith in them. However, we have not reached the level where we have faith in the county governments, especially on issues of procurement. We have county governments which are very good on paper. They can even write for you and tell you that they went through such and such process but when you go to the ground to find out whether those goods or services that were said to have been supplied are there, you find that they are non-existent. You wonder where this money goes. So, that is why I am very happy that this Bill seeks to tie the loose ends by providing that, as part of procurement, you can actually go to the ground and assess whether the work has been done. Part of it is verification of purchase of goods and services. That is one of the reasons as to why I support this Bill. I want to pick on some salient issues in this Bill. I want to note my concern that even as we are debating this Bill, I do not see the Chairman of the relevant Committee. As much as I know that they may be able to read the HANSARD, I know that sometimes because of lack of time, they may not be able to get everything that hon. Members said. I want to encourage the House leadership to encourage---"
}