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{
    "id": 553398,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/553398/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "we agreed on unanimously is that we just have the President appoint the chairman and the membership of that selection panel. Therefore, we have a mediated version of that clause. Under Clause 19, this house had rejected the amendment of the Senate which, in effect, said that the Auditor-General will take his estimates directly to the National Treasury whereupon the Cabinet Secretary will transmit the Budget as it is without altering. After consultations, we agreed that we go by what the Senate has approved, but with a further amendment that says that the Cabinet Secretary shall submit the Budget as submitted by the Auditor-General, but with his own comments. So, he will make the comments when he is submitting to the National Assembly so that it can see the comments of the national Treasury regarding the budget of the Auditor- General. We have an amended version to Clause 19, as an attachment here. Hon. Speaker, Clause 24 deals with the Audit Advisory Board which the Senate says it will be chaired by the Auditor-General himself, but this House rejected it. When we went to the mediation process, we agreed that in order for the advice to be objective--- The Auditor-General will have a choice to take or not take the advice. We agreed that we make the Advisory Board a bit independent so that the advice can be objective. We said that they elect a chairperson of their own. That is the version we agreed upon unanimously. Clause 32 was also in contention. We only took one second to agree on this one. I think it was an oversight in the Senate. It was just about making copies of internal audit reports of any State organ. The Senate wanted it to be a must. However, they had not seen the subsequent Clause 32(2) which gives the Auditor-General the power to call any internal audit report whenever he wants. So, we agreed that, that amendment was superfluous. It was not adding any value. We agreed that we go as per what the House resolved - that is rejecting the amendment by the Senate. That was also unanimous. Clause 39 was about the deletion of Sub-clauses (1) and (2). After consultations, we agreed that we go back to the original version of the National Assembly, but with a small amendment to it so that the fears of Senate about limiting the scope of the Auditor-General can be allayed. We said that the purpose of meeting the heads of security agencies at inception is simply to get to know which areas can touch on national security for the purposes of enabling the Auditor-General to determine an audit approach that will ensure confidentiality in security matters. That is the version we agreed upon and it was also unanimous. If you look at the Report at Page 7, we have attached the mediated version of the clauses that were in contention as they will appear in the Bill. I thank you very much. We were very open-minded. We discussed and agreed. The spirit was very positive. I want to encourage even the mediation which is currently in a stalemate. I want them to adopt our spirit so that we move the country forward. Otherwise if we take hard-line positions, we risk losing that very important Division of Revenue Bill. That is a very fundamental Bill in this country. If we lose it, God forbid, I do not know what will happen to our counties. Therefore, I would want to encourage them that they adopt our spirit so that we move everything forward very fast for the benefit of the people of Kenya. With those few remarks I call upon Hon. Sakaja to second me. If you allow me I will request you to give Hon. Makali Mulu who was also a member of the Committee an opportunity to contribute. I was only lobbying for Hon. Makali Mulu to speak after Sakaja but Hon. Sakaja will second me."
}