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{
    "id": 618706,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/618706/?format=api",
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    "content": "required under Article 96 to exercise over revenues that have been allocated to county governments; that mandate is with this committee. I want to urge those who are Members of this Committee - I can see all of them here; very able men and women - that they need to make a difference this year. It must come out clearly from this House that public funds allocated or sent to the county governments are spent for the purposes for which the Kenyan people through their representatives here voted for. We have a serious challenge. We have seen from the number of petitions that we have received in this House and the reports by the Auditor-General, the concerns that have been expressed over the rising misappropriation, mismanagement and outright looting of public funds. There is no county which has not had challenges with regard to the management of resources. It is really a shame. We went for devolution to run away from the mess in Nairobi. With the new team now - a governor with an executive, which is like a cabinet and a county assembly elected by the people to oversight that county government – we thought there would be a difference. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we thought that the people in those counties would actually determine their priorities for development and the resources that are sent to those counties would actually be used strictly for development and provision of services. However, what is happening from the countless number of audit reports that we have seen is a shame. We have seen in counties recruitment of cronies, cousins and relatives. We have also seen outright misappropriation of funds running into billions and poor lack of foresight. I want to cite the example of my own county, so that I do not appear to talk about other counties only. We are spending billions in what I believe is not a priority for the people of Mandera County. The areas of priority are known in that region. You need to give people water, hospitals, medical services and so on. That is where you need to put your billions. Instead, money is spent on putting up residencies, hotels and office complexes, which can wait. We are not in a hurry to give people luxury. You will find every now and then county executives and county assemblies going all the way to Mombasa or Narok from Mandera for meetings. This happens when there are villages which do not have access to water. We are using water bowsers to supply some water. Mothers are dying during delivery yet we are spending billions on other things. This Committee has a mandate to ensure that these things stop. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want to see a few people locked up, based on the recommendations of this Committee. I do not know why three years down the road no one, based on the recommendations of this Committee, has been hauled before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or any other office. I think it is time we sent a lesson very strongly that the taxpayers’ money is meant to make a difference in the lives of people and not wasted. I know that elections are approaching and many people think that the role of this Committee will be to engage in witch-hunting, it must be decisive. Even if you want to vie for the position of a governor, a Member of the National Assembly or any other office and you are a Member of this Committee, you have a mandate while you are in this Committee. With all due respect to the Members, they must exercise fairness, but carry The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}