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{
    "id": 568962,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/568962/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Musyimi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 95,
        "legal_name": "Mutava Musyimi",
        "slug": "mutava-musyimi"
    },
    "content": "Whereas we respect the decision of the Senate, because this is their decision, we still find it very difficult to understand how you can allocate Kshs2.5 billion to only 34 counties based on the reason that the others did not apply. What is more worrying is that if you go to the details of the kind of money that was set aside for some of these counties, you will find that Turkana County got 68 per cent more than it had the previous year; Vihiga County got 42 per cent more than it had the previous year; Meru County got 22 per cent of what it had the previous year. With regard to Vihiga County, we did some basic calculation and we have information that Vihiga County has 25 wards. The increment that was made by the Senate means that each ward will get an extra Kshs7.8 million over and above the increment that they are already getting this year. If you look at these numbers, again, you will find that the figure that will go to the county assemblies has gone up. In the 2014/2015 Financial Year, the county assemblies were given Kshs16.87 billion but in the 2015/2016 Budget, we are giving the county assemblies Kshs27 billion. That is an increment of over Kshs10 billion. One wonders, if the Budget has already taken care of the increase of money to county assemblies, why should we increase the allocation. Never mind all the questions that have been asked how this money is being spent. Sometimes we are also accused of the same sins and so, I shall not venture there. If the figure has gone up from Kshs16 billion to Kshs27 billion and we want to add another Kshs2.5 billion, it defeats logic. It would really have helped if we had more information, better rationalisation and a more solid criterion from the Senate. In the interest of fees, and I can tell you we considered rejecting this particular Bill yesterday, but we thought that we have been accused of supremacy wars and sometimes I think the media likes to see us fighting. It makes very good fodder for selling newspapers and gives excuse for people to call us one or two names. So, we chose not to bring a negative verdict with respect to this Bill. However, we are concerned and we really hope that as time goes by and as we find better working relationships with the Senate, that better reasons can be given why that kind of money can go to county assemblies without any rationalisation whatsoever. It is sad when you think that we sat here and added to the county government an extra Kshs3.3 billion out of which Kshs2.5 has now gone to county assemblies over and above everything else that they have received. We hope that we will not set a poor precedence and we will not get into the culture of just consuming. We hope that in future, there will be better information as recommendations are made with respect to the money that goes to county assemblies and county governments. May I also say that when you take away Kshs2.5 billion and give it to county assemblies, you are actually taking it away from the Development Vote. That is what it means. This is not fun. This in a sense is sad because it will mean less money to hospitals, polytechnics, agriculture and all the wonderful things that the county governments are supposed to do. With those few remarks and my comments notwithstanding, allow me to just say that following the consideration of the Message to the Senate, my Committee recommends that this House adopts the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, Senate Bill No.5 of 2015. It is now my request that Hon. John Mbadi, the Member of Parliament for the great people of Suba and the Chairman of the ODM kindly second the Motion. 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."
}