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{
    "id": 589065,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/589065/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 60,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Keynan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": "I am sure tomorrow when you will be elected as the head of the Embu County Government, you will---The issue is not about payment. These things are guided by votes. If there is no money in the vote, how will the AIE holder pay? I do not expect Mr. Bundi who is the AIE holder to go to his pocket and pay. He cannot. Cash has to be there. Even where there was a challenge--- What is surprising is how the leadership of Kenya Power walked to the precincts of Parliament on a Friday - this is a quasi-security institution - and disconnected power. That is what I find surprising. That notwithstanding, the issue is being addressed. We had a late night meeting with the Cabinet Secretary. Everybody appreciates that even when the power bill has not been paid, disconnecting power to critical institutions like Parliament was totally uncalled for. Let me continue and say this, there are other issues. I am persuaded by what Hon. Sakaja said. As a Commission, we have done whatever we could. Without getting the actual cash, there is nothing we can do. You know it since you are the senior leader. Getting the cash depends on the National Treasury. We did whatever we could as a Commission. There is a Member who said that his constituency office staff have not been paid for nine months. That might have something to do with returns. Please find out whether you are making proper returns because if you do not make proper returns for previous allocations, it will be difficult for Mr. Obudo, or anybody else in Parliament, to allow the subsequent release of tranches. I want to say this without fear, if you look at today’s Bill before you here, it is a service- oriented Bill. Let us not politicize our activities as an institution. All these issues transcend politics of the day. At the end of the day, you are here as a Member of Parliament, a representative of the people of Kenya. Welfare issues are welfare issues. You are here elected as an individual. When your term comes to an end, you leave as a Member of Parliament. Therefore, any service-oriented issues, I want to plead, please do not politicize them. If Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) money has not been released, let us find out why. This is because we have committees. The CDF is under the CDF Committee, KeRRA is under the Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing; REA is under the Departmental Committee on Energy, Communication and Information. Bursaries are under the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology and the welfare issues are under the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). Overall, we have the Departmental Committee on Budget and Appropriations. These issues are being addressed. Let us ask the respective committees to find out why this is not happening. If there is a serious challenge affecting our country, the only thing that we can do is to empathize and find a lasting solution. There is one thing that came out clearly; there was a challenge with prioritization. There is also a serious cash crunch. These issues are being handled concurrently. We have been assured as PSC that what has happened will not happen again. I want to confirm that the Constituencies Offices Fund for the first three months of July, August and September has already been released. It was released on Friday last week."
}