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{
    "id": 634294,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/634294/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 109,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, there are many reasons why there are pending bills. Some are positive while others are negative. Some could mean that if it is development related projects, maybe the certificates have not been completed and so on. Unless there is a breakdown as to which pending bills are for what reason, then it would be very difficult for us to interrogate the report. Of course, I sympathize a little bit with the Committee because if you have to do all the 47 counties, you have to segregate. However, the Office of the Controller of Budget is there for that reason because it has representation across the 47 counties. So, the Committee can go back to the same office and ask for detailed information on the same. Finally, as part of a supplementary question in the direction you will give, as a lawyer, I am more interested on the issue of legal fees. It is one of the areas that a lot of stealing of county money takes place. I talk with a lot of respect to our legal profession; many county governments engage in unnecessary litigation, over-price the cost of legal services with the hope - we are told and that needs to be confirmed - that it becomes a conduit for taking away county resources. So, I am interested personally as a supplementary question that every pending bill that is related to expenditure of county government resources in paying legal services be presented. Secondly, I am interested in the money that is donated by counties to the Council of Governors (CoG). There is a lot of money, we are told that it is up to Kshs23 million per county. The CoG has about Kshs1 billion in their kitty. They can use it the way they want. This money is used to politic, hire goons and all manner of things. I heard that if any governor in this country wanted the political support of another governor, he just walks to the Kshs1 billion kitty. It is not accounted for or properly audited. I am more worried if we go to the next election and you have a group of governors who have Kshs1 billion or they might have accumulated it to Kshs3 billion or Kshs4 billion; they can use it the way they wish. We are going to an election year; some of them may not be re-elected and accountability mechanism may not be clear. The Committee needs to think through this issue. We are going to a dangerous period where in most cases things get lost."
}