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{
    "id": 606236,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/606236/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 64,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We need also to give ideas to this Committee about the way forward. We must find ways of doing oversight. Are we going to try to ensure that a supplementary budget, for example, will include the Kshs1 billion that was talked about the Senate, so that we can actually proceed with the work that needs to be done or what is going to happen? We have learnt this morning that for the case of Tana River, the county government has been able to allocate funds to the particular Senator, so that, that important role of oversight can be done. Is that the direction to go? Can that be a way out? That Committee should be able to give us a way forward about exactly how we grapple with each of our issues on a step by step format and find a lasting solution that we can be happy with and does not put us into the situation that we are in. It is very unfortunate when you have the sort of greed that is exhibited. We are talking about Kshs1 billion sought by the Senators against Kshs35.2 billion in the CDF for the Members of the National Assembly. Somebody spoke about taking the only goat. I think this is the real case of that one goat being taken away. We have to oversight the Kshs297 that will go to the counties. So, the setting up of the logistics and offices is completely critical. As long as there is no proper oversight, funds will not get utilized properly within the counties. We have had cases of counties where money has been returned back to Treasury instead of being used. We are going to have ideas about how to improve the county assemblies and county governments. Those ideas will not be implemented in the long run. Therefore, it is really for the Committee to streamline the approach. One clear direction would be to ensure that in future it will not just be a Committee of one House that will be purely responsible for budget making. We should have joint committees of the two Houses, even as the important process of budgeting is going on, so that we do not find ourselves in such a situation. We should look for ways and means of ensuring that bicameralism works. Contrary to the wishes of the National Assembly, we cannot wish away the Senate and bicameralism. At the moment, the Senate is here to remain for a very long time. Let us learn to live with each other because other jurisdictions have done it very successfully. Sen. Billow Kerrow has talked about a Bill that is sent back to the National Assembly. If that happened, it would have had a chance of being vetted and looked at by the Senate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to support."
}