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"content": "of now, that is not happening and, therefore, the services have deteriorated. Most facilities do not have enough personnel and medicine. So, where there were previously one or two nurses, there are none and, therefore, the facility shuts down. So, this is a matter that we, as the Senate, needs to look at and ensure that instead of any services that have been devolved deteriorating, they should be improved because that was the purpose of devolution. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, last week, I raised the issue of cash disbursements or cash transfers on the Floor of the House. Yesterday, the distinguished Senator for Makueni also raised the same issue. If you look at the amount of money that the Government is purportedly using in the cash transfer programme, it is enormous. The Government has even announced an additional Kshs29 billion to be disbursed, but as we sit here, we do not know how this money is being disbursed. Any public meeting that I attend and we ask questions relating to this fund, old men ask “where is the money that is disbursed?” And I say “but it is around here;” and they say “no” and I do not get even a single person out of a crowd that has been receiving this money. Therefore, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is a good idea; it will lift or improve the poverty levels of our people, but it should not be surrounded with secrecy. We want to see how this money is allocated so that we can ask for more, because I think it is a very noble thing that will help the poor people. I am hoping that this matter will be given the seriousness that it deserves and that we are going to get the information and even participate in formulating rules to ensure that there is equity in the distribution of this important fund. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, infrastructure is covered in this budget. There is nothing that we can celebrate about the past. I have always said during the 17 years that I have been in Parliament; every time I stand here, I talk about infrastructure and I give examples of Kitui County, which has been neglected for the last 52 years. I want to pledge here that as long as I have some breath remaining in my body, I will continue to talk about infrastructure, so long as the Government continues with this practice of marginalizing some areas. My first Motion, if you recall, when I came to this House, was about infrastructure and ensuring that there is equity in the development of infrastructure in this country. I see no reason why some counties will be having better infrastructure than others after 52 years of Independence. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was assured that the Annuity Program, which is in this document is going to be started as a pilot project during the 2015/2016 Financial Year which is just around the corner. I want to appeal to the Government to ensure that even if it is a pilot project, let it start piloting from the areas that have been marginalized in the past. I can see the distinguished Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet nodding in agreement because you cannot go and pilot on a scheme in areas that are already endowed with infrastructure. I would like to see Kitui-Kibwezi Road being the first road to be done under the Annuity Program. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there are many things we can say about the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), but the Constitution gives the IEBC the mandate to do continuous registration of voters. It is now two years since the last elections and we see no registration going on in our counties, at least in Kitui 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."
}