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{
    "id": 554631,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/554631/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 243,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wakhungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1889,
        "legal_name": "Chrisantus Wamalwa Wakhungu",
        "slug": "chrisantus-wamalwa-wakhungu"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Speaker. At the outset I want to say I support this mediated version of the Division of Revenue Bill. Before that, I want to thank the Committee on Mediation under the chairmanship of my friend hon. Rev. Mutava Musyimi. Indeed, it was not an easy task. In the spirit of mediation, the spirit of win-win and give and take is very critical. That is why they managed to come up with something. It is very surprising that there is no provision in law in case of collapse of these talks. I tend to believe that maybe this is so because when you read Article 95 of the Constitution, it is actually expressed that when it comes to the division of revenue between the national Government and the county government, it is actually the National Assembly and not a matter of the Senate. I know we go to court for the interpretation of the law and I know the Senate had gone to the Supreme Court for this advisory. We tend to wonder, an advisory is an opinion and not a guarantee that we should go that way. In this case, the fact of the matter when the ruling came, it was not unanimous. Hon. Njoki Ndungu had dissented on it. For us, on the way forward, we need to think further and see what kind of amendments we need to bring so that we do not have this issue in future. I was listening keenly to the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Rev. Mutava Musyimi and he had talked of a quagmire. For us to avoid this quagmire in future, we need to speak as a team. I know there is a provision for IBEC, that is the Intergovernmental Budget Economic Council which is headed by the Deputy President. It is important that we look for a way so that the Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson and the Chairperson of the Finance Committee from the other side are incorporated into this IBEC, so that after resolutions have been passed, we do not come again and differ. It is both a waste of time and resources to differ. Again, it creates a situation whereby we do not have teamwork. We want to avoid the issue of supremacy between the National Assembly and the Senate. If you look critically at these amendments that were brought by the Senate, really it is not about money going to the county levels; it is actually to do with the issue of supremacy. I am saying this because the Senate seems to be--- Looking at their mandate, they have been looking at the impeachment of governors. I think they are a frustrated House. They tried to impeach Wambora yet he is still there. I think the Senate is frustrated. They tried to summon the governors, but they could not make it because they went to court. So, it is a frustrated House. Therefore, it is not good for them to bring their frustration to the National Assembly. We are calling upon teamwork. It is good to respect what this House is bringing on board. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}