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{
    "id": 554776,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/554776/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 112,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "There is one important thing. The debate that has been between Parliament and the Executive has been to what extent we can scrutinise our Budget. The Executive seems to hold the view that by the time they bring the Estimates to Parliament, they are already a fait accompli . I beg to differ because we interrogate this Budget because we want to appropriate funds based on the priorities of Kenyans. We want to interrogate these figures to ensure, for example, that we have a programme-based budgeting; but when you look at the current scenario, the Treasury seems to say that: “ By the time we come to you, we have already done our public consultations.” We want to clearly say that Parliament is not a rubber stamp of the Executive. When you look at the way appropriations are done and the way budgets are generated, sometimes they do not have directness that would speak to the issues that affect the common mwananchi. I want to point out that looking at the kind of intricacies that we have seen here, you will find that the allocation to some of the most deprived sectors of the economy have been increased. For me, the issue of increasing money to the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for the sake of giving compensation to those who have been injured by the human and wildlife conflict it can only be welcome. For a very long time because of lack of such kind of proper allocation of funds, we have ended up in a situation where people have not been properly compensated when they are maimed. Another increase that speaks to the issue of increasing our Kenyan productivity is the allocation to the construction of water pipelines. It is a contradiction, as we speak, today that most Kenyans end up having a lot of water because of the flash floods, yet they do not have water in their taps. Therefore, the allocation to increase the construction of a national pipeline will assist in this area. There is also a very curious increase here with regard to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the transmission of results. In the 2007 the then chairman of the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) said that some people had actually switched off their phones, and so they could not relay election results; this should not be entertained in this 21st Century. The allocation is to ensure that there is proper mapping by IEBC, so that results will not be intercepted. We should not have a situation where we do not know exactly who is a winner, and where time is lost in between voting and release of results. Having said that, I clearly note that allocations to target groups and special interests that some of us represent in this House also need to be clearly defined. I have in point the fact that, for example, we have allocated about Kshs 500 million to TVET. 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."
}