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{
    "id": 571368,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/571368/?format=api",
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    "content": "model county infrastructure for all the counties in the Republic, there was uproar. At that point in time, because of the suspicion that existed, many people felt that it was not fair for the national Government to prepare those infrastructures because some people also imagined that – and this is a culture that has grown in our country – if we did that, many people were going to make a kill out of it and that it was intended to give business to certain people. So, there was an uproar and people said: “Let us not build the infrastructure and wait for the time when the county governments come into place and construct those facilities.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you now realise what has happened. We have the division of revenue formula that is not cognizant of those issues of infrastructure. We also have a Transition Authority (TA) that went ahead to share money meant for infrastructure equally to all the counties that had infrastructure and those that did not have. Nairobi City County got the same Kshs61 million that Elgeyo-Marakwet County got, yet it does not have infrastructure. Tana River County that did not have a single building got the same amount of money as Nyandarua, Tharaka-Nithi as well as West Pokot counties. That mistake was occasioned by the mismanagement of the transitional process before and after elections by the TA. Therefore, this House being the guardian angel of devolution, and the protector of county governments, cannot sit down when a county assembly in Nyandarua County is carrying out its responsibilities in a hotel. We are told that they started off from a church and then moved to a tent structure. That is a shame. This House is there to defend counties. When this Committee which is being formed comes back with a report, I would like this House to be bold enough and say that even if their recommendations do not favour Elgeyo- Marakwet County, I, as the Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County, will defend something that affects Mombasa, Kajiado, Kisii or Homa Bay counties. This is because I have a responsibility to defend those counties, because this House operates as collegiate and a team in ensuring that we protect even the weak counties. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we must therefore not shy away because I have heard debate here at one point in time as to why we should assist Tharaka-Nithi, Nyandarua or Tana River which have dire situations. Those three counties are worse off than Elgeyo-Marakwet County which has at least one or two facilities that we renovated. However, the three counties are the “worstly” affected counties, if there is something like that in English. I encourage the Committee not to go back and say that every county needs this money. Let us be honest with ourselves. If Uasin Gishu, Nairobi, Kisumu or Mombasa counties have facilities, let us not lump them together with historically marginalized areas that have no single facility. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I advise this Committee that when you go to find out the facts, please, look at them objectively. If you come from a county that has facilities, consider your brothers and sisters who do not have facilities. That way, we can provide infrastructure on a priority basis and also push national Government institutions that deal 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."
}