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{
    "id": 571048,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/571048/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 205,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatangi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 646,
        "legal_name": "Paul Kimani Wamatangi",
        "slug": "paul-kimani-wamatangi"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I also rise to support the Bill and congratulate the Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for coming up with this very necessary and important Bill to free county assemblies across the country to do the work that they were intended to do in the first place according to the Constitution. Madam Temporary Speaker, even in the concept of the Constitution itself, it is understood that county assemblies were intended and envisaged to be responsible bodies capable of handling their own finances. The power of discussing, appropriating and passing of the county finance Bills as necessary is vested on county assemblies. So, county assemblies should be entrusted to discuss, appropriate and allocate all the billions of shillings sent to counties as proposed by the Executive. If it is envisaged that they have the capability to pass finance Bills to serve the interest of counties, then, it is foolhardy that one would presume that the same county assemblies are not responsible enough to oversight and be responsible for their own expenses. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is a saying that he who pays the piper calls the tune . This is one of the biggest problems in having status quo maintained. This is a Bill that will bring freedom to county assemblies. Many county executives, especially governors, have used this as a bait to ensure that they have their way. They get unpopular proposals and laws passed at the county level because they dangle the carrot of the same money that we have given to county assemblies. Sometimes even when funds are available in county accounts, some governors have used the trick of withholding salaries of MCAs when they know that there is a Bill or a proposal to be brought to the county assembly which they could be imagining or envisaging a rebellion, non-compliance or a rejection of their Bill. So, they hold salaries and allocations to the county assembly until their Bill is presented. They tell MCAs that once the Bill is passed, they might get money. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}