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{
    "id": 554835,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/554835/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 171,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Kibunguchy",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 294,
        "legal_name": "Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
        "slug": "enoch-kibunguchy"
    },
    "content": "First, it is a good thing that the IEBC has been allocated some money for voter registration. This is because previously, they were not given any money and yet this exercise is ongoing in most places where we come from. Secondly, I am also glad that the TVET institutes have been added some money. These are the new Technical Training Institutes that are being built in all the constituencies, especially in constituencies where they are non-existent. Thirdly, I want to note that the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) has been added Kshs400 million. I do not see the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I wanted him to clarify whether some of this money will go to the former employees of KCC because we know that when it was finally privatised, there were employees who lost their jobs and up to now most of them from various parts of this country have not been paid. Hon. Speaker, let me comment on what is going on right now. I was ready in the morning to support that Kshs3.2 billion be sent to the counties. It is good that we have passed that but I want to say one or two things about counties. One, we are losing the game in the way we are going with devolution in this country. In my view, devolution is turning out to be just another bigger version of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). This is because all counties are looking at the Central Government. My question is: Aren’t they collecting any local revenue? We never hear about local revenue. The whole concept of devolution in this country was meant to help counties to exploit their natural resources wherever they are so that they can create jobs and wealth in their respective areas. The way we are and the way we are going, in the long run, we are going to lose the whole concept of devolution because all the counties are looking at what is appropriated from the Central Government. Secondly, I would like to offer a solution. I hope the Senate can pick it up because this is in their domain. Year in year out, the counties are talking about additional revenue from the Central Government. Now, they are coming up with a referendum. I come from this side of the divide and unless the counties can account for whatever they have received so far, I want to be on record that I will not support the referendum for P esaMashinani . For devolution to work, we must find a mechanism where we are not creating other small centres in this country. For example, Kakamega County receives about Kshs9 billion from the national Government. First, I do not know how much revenue they collect locally. Nobody knows. I do not know whether there is anybody who has these figures. Secondly, once all these money gets to the county headquarters, it gets concentrated there. Very little of it trickles to the sub-counties and the wards. Most of the planning, budgeting, implementation and procurement of services and goods is done at the county headquarters. If it goes on like this, the question I keep asking myself is - if we thought that all these things should move away from Nairobi - why are they being concentrated in the county headquarters? I want to propose this, and I hope the Senate can pick this up, if we are going to release 45 per cent of revenue to the counties. When that money gets to the counties, they should 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."
}