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"content": "Those are the three recommendations that we feel will lead to an amendment at the Committee Stage. Where will the money come from? We looked at that and we proposed a couple of areas where this money will come from. First, we proposed that in the national interest on the Bill which provides for national irrigation and fertilizer clearance, it provides for Kshs12.5 billion to the national Government. We have said that agriculture is a devolved function and a lot of counties are doing their own irrigation schemes, looking at the possibility of getting fertilizer for their own farmers, et cetera . So, there are challenges associated with this area of utilizing the entire provision of Kshs12.5 billion and we resolved to take Kshs2.5 billion from that allocation so that the national irrigation on page 15 of Table 2 of the Bill will come down to Kshs10 billion instead of Kshs12.5 billion. We said that the Kshs2.5 billion can be obtained from that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the second area we looked at is on the emergencies. On Row No. (e) on the same Table 2, they had provided for Kshs7.9 billion for emergencies. These emergencies is Kshs5 billion for contingencies and Kshs2.9 billion for the Strategic Grain Reserve. We did not touch the Strategic Grain Reserve, but on the contingencies of the national Government of Kshs5 billion, we shared it out equally so that we gave Kshs2.5 billion to the counties and retained Kshs2.5 billion for the national Government. It is becoming apparent, especially in the Arid and Semi-arid areas (ASAL) when there is drought, the Government is increasingly asking those counties to bear the bill of buying relief food and other things for the affected people. So, we also took from there Kshs2.5 billion. The total adjustment that we are proposing is Kshs7.7 billion and so the remaining Kshs2.7 billion will be deducted from the balance available from the national Government needs. The total equitable share, if our proposed amendments are approved by this House during the Committee of the Whole will come to Kshs259.7 billion which represents 33 per cent of the audited revenue for 2012/2013. The conditional grants will increase from Kshs25 billion to Kshs30.1 billion because of the additional increase of Level 5 hospitals to Kshs3,600,480 and also the County Emergency Funds of Kshs4.4 billion. That will bring the total; both equitable and conditional share to Kshs291,444,185,204. This is on the table on page eight and nine of your Report. You will find the total County Allocation will come to Kshs291,444,185,204. That will come to 37 per cent of the total. That is what we have proposed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is the feeling of the Members of the Committee on Finance, Commerce and Budget that we make the necessary adjustments. The import is very clear; that any adjustments or amendments to this Bill will lead to mediation between the two Houses of Parliament. That notwithstanding, that was the proposal by Members. We urge Members to critically look at that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, if the Kshs291,444,185,204 will be passed, there will be substantial amount of money that will go to the counties. The Senate has always made it very clear, in the two years that we have looked at and enacted the Division of Revenue Bill, that it has been the intention of the Senate to provide for adequate funding 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."
}