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{
    "id": 591356,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/591356/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
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    "content": "not delay the Bills of county governments from being published. As a result of differences, county governments and the executive can use the current Government Printers to frustrate the county assemblies. They can print it anywhere as long as that printing has been done with the authority of the county government. Finally, Madam Temporary Speaker, is to mention the issue of public finances. We want to ensure that there is adequate allocation of public resources to the counties. We have made a proposal to amend Article 203 in two ways: First, the resources that will go to county governments instead of 15 per cent, we have said 40 per cent of the national resources should be allocated to county governments. That is an issue we debated for a long time. However, considering the functions that have been devolved to the counties, the importance of devolution to our country and the desire to grow our economies at the local level, we say that 15 per cent should be provided for. We also said that instead of waiting for figures from the Auditor-General to be approved by the National Assembly, we should use the latest figures from the Auditor-General without requiring the approval of the National Assembly because it can be delayed. That is a critical amendment that relates to the resources that go to our counties. We have also ensured that the Senate is involved in finances by dealing with the Appropriations Bill. We also ensure that the County Allocation of Revenue Bill is published early enough. I know the Vice-Chairman who will second this Motion, will say we need to ensure that the Division of Revenue Bill is passed at least three months before the end of the financial year. Madam Temporary Speaker, secondly, we have provided that the County Allocation of Revenue Bill should be passed within 30 days from the date of passing the Division of Revenue Bill. That will ensure that one month before the financial year ends and before the national Budget is read, the county governments will already know what they will receive from the national Government. Therefore, there will be no delay after June, July and August with county governments still debating their budgets because they are not sure of the amount of resources they will receive from the national Government. We have also ensured that we tighten the oversight of public entities so that the entities at the national level with issues of misuse of money. We have provided that the National Assembly will have a say in ensuring that the money that goes to national level, oversight will be by the National Assembly which can also initiate the process of stopping money to an entity they believe has not accounted enough for those resources. In the same manner, the Senate will have the responsibility to stop resources going to the counties that have not accounted for resources and have questionable mechanisms of dealing with resources so that we do not just become people who complain. For instance, Sen. Wetangula’s county is buying one wheelbarrow for Kshs109,000. If and when the people of Bungoma County ask us to question such kind of allocations, we must have the capacity as a House to say that we cannot allow a situation where a county is spending Kshs109,000 to buy one wheelbarrow. We were also told of another county that opened a Facebook page at the cost of Kshs2 million. They paid a contractor that huge amount of money to open a Facebook,"
}