Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 697268,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/697268/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 387,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Karaba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 232,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Dickson Karaba",
        "slug": "daniel-karaba"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I stand to support The Self Help Associations Bill (Senate Bill No.2 of 2015) as moved by Sen. Wangari. What the Senator has said is true. What has been happening in this Parliament is very true with regard to taking stock and audit of what we say in this House and the National Assembly. I was a Member of Parliament of the Ninth Parliament for Kerugoya/Kutus Constituency. Today, it is known as Kirinyaga Central Constituency. During that time when we were Members of Parliament, we drafted quite a number of Bills. One of them was the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) Bill which went along to help constituencies in terms of development. The practice has been money is allocated to a certain MP in a given area for development. The MP is supposed to come up with proposed projects which will be funded by the CDF which is established in this House or the “Lower” House. However, when that money is allocated, it belongs to the Member of that constituency. That is why you are finding it is very hard for the Senate to survive because it has no money to operate on its own. However, Members of National Assembly control CDF. Surprisingly, when it was passed, we were not allocated money in the first year of 2003. The first batch came in 2004 which was only Kshs6 million. By the time, the Ninth Parliament was dissolved, we had not even gotten more than Kshs50 million. Today, an MP is taking to the constituency over Kshs100 million every year while on our part, we only took Kshs50 million to our constituencies in five years. They could even take more as that is the least they could take to the constituency. So, a Member could craftily say that he has Kshs100 million Fund, another one has Kshs120 million or Kshs150 million or Kshs160 million. It could go up because there are so many other funds that the MPs would like to hold like it is their funds. That money was given discriminately; it was given to whoever was in a position to influence for more money. Some constituencies are given about Kshs10 million or Kshs20 million depending on how well they negotiate, while other constituencies get nothing. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, what the Senator is articulating is true. We need to account for whatever penny that the Government gives out for any development in the country because if all the monies were to be used properly in every constituency, sub- county and county, we would be talking of a developed country. However, we have some mischievous Members who use that money for campaigns. I am sure that the money that will be allocated to some Members this year will not be used for any development. They will use it strategically to ensure that they are re-elected. They will target regions and people who are opposed to them and their competitors. In essence, this money has been"
}