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{
    "id": 533700,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/533700/?format=api",
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    "content": "ensure that their views and requirements are considered. When the first ceilings were set, perhaps, there was no adequate time for the county assemblies to be consulted. I believe that this time, there is ample time for them to be consulted. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the ceilings were set for the county assemblies, but there are certain requirements, for instance, personal emoluments which must be catered for. We know that the size of counties vary from one county to the other. Some counties are bigger than others in terms of Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs). I hope that in setting the ceilings, the individual number of Senators will be taken into consideration, so that the MCAs in each county assembly are accorded equal rights or facilities as are being provided anywhere within the county. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have heard that some counties are now closing down because they do not have funds. We have also heard that even personal emoluments – salaries - are not there. I think that we should go a further step to ensure that there are also ceilings to ring-fence the item on personal emoluments, so that the first charge on any funding to the county is salaries. This will ensure that even if the allowances are not there, at least, salaries are guaranteed to be paid when due. We have also heard from the Chairman that while we apply ceilings on the county assemblies, there are no similar ceilings in as far as the executive is concerned, particularly the administration in the new structures. I believe that this is now the right time for the executive to also exercise some discipline. In doing so, we must set parameters. I know that in many counties, the County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of finance is literally the controller of all finances of all Ministries within that county. We have CECs who are in charge of every department. Those CECs should be in charge of whatever allocations they have been given in the county budget. But as at now, the CECs for finance are controlling everything. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I recently had the opportunity to visit a health facility within my county. Although they had a budget, they were not able to procure whatever they required because they were told that there was no money, yet according to the budget there is money and every month there are funds released by the budget department to them."
}