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{
    "id": 677039,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/677039/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 283,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Katoo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 199,
        "legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
        "slug": "judah-ole-metito"
    },
    "content": "In replying, I want to say that the Members have raised several pertinent issues and I have picked nine of them. The first one is that there is need for disclosure of county revenues in terms of collection. What the county collects should be properly disclosed and not only the funds given by the national Government. The second one is that Members talked about the need to give counties capacity in terms of Budget preparation. Therefore, the Bill proposes the need to have a budget office to avoid rejection of their budgets by the Controller of Budget. Thirdly, Members proposed the need to decentralise some of these offices especially the Office of the Auditor-General and Controller of Budget Office to the county level for proper functioning of counties in the discharge of their functions and mandate. Fourthly, there is need to strictly adhere to the law to avoid unnecessary pending bills. Always, when there is a pending Bill, it forms the first charge in the coming financial years. Therefore, when county governments have huge pending bills, they consume a lot to the allocation of the next financial year. When this Bill goes through together with the amendments which are going to be brought by individual Members, it will cure that. The fifth issue is the need for counties and the national Government to adhere to the procurement and disposal of public assets when dealing with public utilities and assets. Sixthly, Members have raised the need to have proper public participation to ensure that some things are done first. In terms of limited financial resources, there is need to put effort in priority areas which serve the public most. The seventh issue is that there is also need to involve CECs in budget preparation. Just like we do here in Parliament, respective House Committees hold sessions with respective Ministries of the Executive so that everybody is brought on board. Therefore, county assemblies committees should have time with the respective CECs of the respective devolved function in budget preparation. The eighth issue is the need to centralize the Exchequer account for both the county and national Government in the National Treasury. This will ease auditing of public funds, monitor absorption, performance and utilisation of public finances by all public entities. Finally, the ninth issue is the need to separate county assembly funds from the county executive funds just the way we do in the national Government where we have a budget for the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary, which is totally independent of each other. Therefore, that will also result to independence of the three arms of the Government. At the county level, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}