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"id": 533082,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Ndiema",
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"legal_name": "Henry Tiole Ndiema",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Once again, I want to thank the Committee for coming up with the recommendations on ceilings. As I said, ceilings are necessary at all levels of Government. We cannot operate without ceilings, especially in the counties, in view of the fact that the structures that we are dealing with are new and there is need for guidance to the county assemblies and executive. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, yesterday, we agreed that it is necessary to have the ceilings for county assemblies. But we also noted that the ceilings for the executive are not being complied with, because the executive, instead of using its ceiling for the new structures, is also invading or using the funds that are allocated to the devolved functions that have been existing. The office of the County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of finance is controlling finances that belong to Ministries and departments. It is necessary that funds that are allocated to departments be managed by the CECs in charge of those departments. Although some Ministries have been allocated funds in the budget, the CECs are diverting this money for other purposes. Even in hospitals, particularly in my county, the Ministry of Health is not able to access all that it requires because the funds are controlled and available to other departments. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also mentioned that funds in the counties are managed without necessary consultation. It is true that when the budget is being prepared consultations are done. But, unfortunately, midway, counties are reallocating funds, to a large extent, to disrupt the whole budget. It has become necessary, therefore, that a limit as to how much a county can reallocate within a year be set in terms of percentage. I would even suggest that as the Bill comes, the ceilings for reallocation be set at not more than 10 percent. This means that they cannot reallocate their funds from one item to the other to a level which is more than 10 per cent. This will ensure that the projects which are envisaged are implemented. I am saying this because in counties, midway, new projects which were not envisaged somehow come in. These projects are likely to be pushed for the purpose of embezzling public funds. In the process, all funds allocated to justifiable reasons are diverted, sometimes, to one major project. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will not be surprised that counties are committing funds to the level of nearly Kshs1 billion to specific projects, yet we know that, that amount is not available. In some counties, Ministries are also over-committing 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."
}