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{
    "id": 533679,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/533679/?format=api",
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    "content": "thing is that the figures in the circular were not binding. Therefore, they could go back and negotiate on the figures. That is what quite a number of them did. To the best of my knowledge, only three counties did not approach the CRA to discuss that. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, further to that, as a matter of fact, our Committee held a special meeting a couple of weeks ago in Naivasha. All the Chairpersons of Finance and Budget Committees of county assemblies and members of the executive of the County Assemblies Forum (CAF) were in attendance. We had the Controller of Budget and the CRA. In the meeting, we agreed and gave directions to the two institutions to allow county assemblies to access money. In fact, the Controller of Budget was very clear. He asked them to forward their revised Appropriations Act and they would access the money for the remaining quarter. Therefore, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is a matter that we have explained very clearly to the CAF. As late as yesterday, when we had a meeting in which both the CAF and the CRA were in attendance, we made it very clear that the CRA should write to the County Executive Committee (CEC) members because the money does not come from the Controller of Budget or the CRA. It comes from the county government. The challenge that we have in a number of counties is the poor relationship between county assemblies and county executives. We asked the CRA, even as late as yesterday, to direct the CECs in counties which have financial problems to release money. They have to find an appropriate reallocation of money from other votes to the county assemblies so as to allow county assemblies to proceed with their functions and the Controller of Budget will approve without any difficulty. This is because there is a process. Money has to be found and transferred from a particular account because people did their budgets based on the ceilings. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when the court ordered, they went into a consent in court, that 75 per cent of the money that was released for nine months was supposed to be used for essential services as per the ceilings. Some county assemblies spent money on issues that were not in the budget that was approved by the Controller of Budget, based on the ceilings. However, they went into other expenditures. For example, where foreign travel was not approved, they went for a foreign travel. The money that was allocated to them for salaries and allowances was used for activities that were not approved in their respective budgets. That is why they are having cash flow problems regarding salaries and allowances. That is why we have asked the Controller of Budget and the CRA to ensure that no county assembly has any financial crisis. In fact, yesterday after directing the CRA accordingly, we told members of the CAF that if any county assembly does not have money, they should contact us immediately so that we find out exactly where the problem is. This is because the CRA needs to direct respective assemblies to ensure that money is reallocated from other votes to county assemblies so that they continue to operate. That is the status at the present Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Report was also based on a question that was raised by the Senator for Mombasa County. We have explained very clearly about constraints of ceilings that have been imposed on county assemblies. We have explained that the Controller of Budget had not refused to finance county assemblies. This was 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."
}