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{
    "id": 542413,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/542413/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 144,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Shaban",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 139,
        "legal_name": "Naomi Namsi Shaban",
        "slug": "naomi-shaban"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion about the amendments coming from the Senate on the Division of Revenue Bill. At the outset, I want to thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Without mincing their words, they have said openly what they think we should do with these amendments. I want to say that it is important for all Kenyans to know what is in the Constitution. I know the Supreme Court gave an advisory opinion, and basically that advisory opinion was not done outside our society. We live in the Kenyan society, where people are supposed to work together. We are all in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC); the Senators who had issues should have given their input at the time when the Division of Revenue Bill was being debated on this Floor. They should have sent their issues as Messages for us to agree with them, or at, least agree, disagree with them on certain issues. Hon. Speaker, it is very sad that we use every opportunity to chest-thumb and show that we have the might to stop something like this Bill from going through. This Division of Revenue Bill is what is going to set the pace for our Budget for the next financial year. It is obvious that Senators are playing a ping pong game, yet they know very well that we are not going anywhere with this. Article 96(3) of the Constitution is very clear. I expected the Senators to be thinking on how best to close loopholes in the Budget framework. We hear cries from all over the place that revenue that is collected at the county level is not well accounted for, or well utilized. By now they should have come up with means and ways of closing loopholes in their financial systems. I ask governors to be careful in how revenue is collected and utilized. They should have also been busy monitoring, evaluating and making sure the work that the county governments are doing is done well, the money allocated to them is utilized properly, and that we get maximum value for the money that is given them. I want to say it very clearly that we cannot afford these kinds of games; we cannot go on like this. Hon. Speaker, I beg to oppose."
}