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{
    "id": 701403,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/701403/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 245,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Therefore, when it comes to communication, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and so on must realise that their responsibility lies more in counties where urban centres are growing. The sooner the county and national government work together to ensure that we move away from road based transportation towards rail or electric powered transportation, the better. There is evidence that very soon we might be one of the countries that produce a lot of petroleum products. The use of petroleum products is finite. It cannot be there forever. So, thinking 100 or 200 years ahead is much better than thinking in the immediate. Some of the rail roads in Europe, India or South Africa were built many years ago. They are still functional. Improving them is much cheaper than investing in roads. I am not saying that we abandon road transport all together but if we will rely on road transport, we must rely on bituminized roads. This means that you have to import bitumen which is a petroleum based product. Very soon, when we discover enough oil, we will, of course may find that making bitumen is much cheaper. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, under the Intergovernmental Relations Act, this transfer of functions should be done expeditiously. We should look at functions that can make counties grow fast, reduce recurrent expenditure and make sure that they are given to the counties. The counties should use these functions efficiently for the purposes of rapid economic growth. Unfortunately, during the first five years of county establishment, many county governments have paid more attention to recurrent expenditure than development expenditure. This was the case because they needed to survive, and, therefore, they had to spend on recurrent expenditure. That is understandable but at the same time, thought must have been put to investing in development so that we invest in the future. Some counties have done it. The recommendations of this Committee, particularly urging the national Government to respect the proposals made by the Transition Authority (TA), especially over the recording of assets and liabilities of counties - a job which is still in progress - must be finished soon. We have been assured by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee that together with the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) – whose job is the finalizing of the record on county assets and liabilities - that the exercise should be over by February next year. I appeal to the national Government, especially the National Treasury, to cooperate with the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee to ensure that this job is finished by February next year. Counties cannot work well if they have no proper records of their assets and if they are not sure what liabilities are due unto them and to the national Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}